Free Me
by Zapenbits
Summary: — AU, IchiRuki — Ichigo and Rukia are innocent, convicted criminals who are in jail for life. As the girls side of prison is being rebuilt, these two unlikely "murderers" will have to learn to cope with each other ... if they don't kill each other first.
1. A Fateful Meeting

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

— **June 29, 1999 —**

"_What is your verdict?" the judge asked staring down the jury, as if asking them if the decision they made was really the right one._

_The man standing tugged at his collar, obvious sweat rolling down his face and neck. It was hot in the courtroom. It was unbearably hot this time of year. The man wore a suit, his tie loosened, and a comb over; trying to cover up a bald spot._

_"Um—our—uh, verdict is—um—"_

_"Speak clearly please," the judge pressed, feeling sweat roll down his forehead and his many chin rolls. He had to get home tonight … his wife didn't think taking this particular case was a very good idea for him or his family. _

_A nine-year-old kid was accused of slicing his own mother's throat … The mother, his father had said, the nine-year-old adored and would never hurt. Despite all the witnesses and family members who said the kid would never hurt a fly, the people were trialing him as an adult. At the beginning of the trial, the judge had questioned the act … after much convincing, he agreed to it. The kid was found under his dead mother, a knife in his hand and his mother's blood covering the floors like crimson ribbons. He had no choice but to give him the maximum sentence if he was called guilty._

_So, now the nine year old was standing his eyes down, obvious shame across his face. The judge felt a little sorry for him; no nine-year-old should be put in this situation found under his mother or not._

_"Our verdict is … _guilty_," the man said, breaking the judge from his thoughts._

_The court room fell. People stood and some of them screamed in terror. The convicted boy didn't look surprised. Instead, his eyes became just a little more depressed. His back slumped a little more. His father, a doctor at a local clinic, was the first to stand. He gently touched his son's shoulders and turned him around. The man leaned in, rested his forehead against his son's. "It's okay, I'll get you out of this," he whispered gently. "I know it wasn't your fault."_

_The boy shook his head. "I deserve this. Don't do anything, Dad."_

_An officer came up behind him and handcuffed him. The boy looked up at the judge, waiting for him to speak. "Kurosaki Ichigo," the judge said. "You will serve the maximum sentence — life in jail."_

_His father was crying. Ichigo felt tears flood his eyes, like the damn of his eternal emotions crack until the salty tears seemed through. The officer grabbed the young boy's wrists and led him through two double doors and to the place that he would spend the rest of his life._

* * *

— _**January 23, 2005 —**_

_Kuchiki Rukia stood up, ready for the verdict. Had it really been almost a year now since that day had happened? Had she really been through that much in only a short nine months? It didn't seem possible. Though, it didn't seem possible that he was gone … yet. She still couldn't believe it._

_The court room was cold. The people inside were still wearing coats it was so cold. Rukia felt cold; her dress didn't keep her too warm with the room being so chilly._

_"Jury, what is your verdict?" the judge asked, turning to the people who had just walked into courtroom again. They had been gone for nearly four hours. That was a good thing, right? Rukia wondered looking at them. That meant they had decided quickly … maybe it was for her freedom._

_Of course, going to jail and being free made no difference in the young Kuchiki girl's life. She didn't feel like she should even be alive now. If it wasn't for him … she wouldn't be. She would be just like him … six feet underground … cold, dead._

_"We find the defendant … guilty as charged."_

_No one cried out. On the contrary, some people cheered. They were hugging each other and crying with joy. Rukia held back her tears and felt her lip tremble. She had to stay calm. She couldn't let anyone know what really happened. She had to stay strong. She couldn't tremble in fear … she had been strong two minutes ago! She hadn't cared whether or not she was going to jail … her life was already over. She didn't have friends, she couldn't go to school, or walk out on the streets alone … not if she wanted to be safe. Jail was the safest place for her … she should be happy._

_One tear fell down her cheek._

_She turned her head slightly and her eyes locked with her older brother, Byakuya. He stared her down with cold and penetrating eyes. She looked away. Her sister on the other hand, took her hands and whispered, "I know you didn't do this, Rukia. I know. I'll get you out of here. I promise, I promise …" Tears were slowly rolling down her sister's cheeks._

_Rukia brought her fingers up and wiped her sister's tears away. "No Hisana, don't. I'll be fine. I deserve this punishment … it's my fault. Jail is the safest place for me …"_

_"But you're innocent! I know it, Rukia! You've got to tell them that … I know and you know. Please, baby sister, tell them. You've got to tell them! I can protect you! Please, Rukia … tell them."_

_"Sorry Hisana."_

_"The defendant will serve a life sentence for her crime." An officer came up and handcuffed her. They led her out the door and through long, wrapping hallways and to the place she would call her home for the rest of her life. All she could hear, as she walked out of the room willingly, was the cries of her sister and the pleas for her to come back and tell the police the truth. _

* * *

— **The Present **_**—**_

Nine years. Nine _years_ he had rotted in this jail cell. Nine years of packing boxes, serving food and community service all for nothing. Nine years of living a life he deserved to live. Ichigo lifted another spoonful of sauce onto someone else's noodles. The person grunted his thanks and Ichigo grunted back. It was normal talk around here.

Sometimes, Ichigo wondered if he could even speak proper Japanese anymore. Probably not; living in here since he was nine … he had been smart for his age and that was good … good, because, when he turned fifteen, the justice center stopped schooling him. He wasn't sure why they even made him go through with schooling … he was just going to be sitting around here for the next ninety years of his life. Sometimes, he wished that he wouldn't have to live another ninety years. Often, he thought about who would really miss him if he, indeed, did die.

His father was so busy, he could hardly come by and see him and when he did, the meetings were always brief. He hadn't seen his sisters since he was nine … the last time he saw them was when he was taken out of the courtroom and to this hellhole. Forever they would be crying in his memory.

When he thought of his family, he could never picture happy things. Sure, he could remember them … it was just the crying … the pain … the loss that he remembered the most. He remembered his father's face … his look of determination when he told Ichigo he was going to save him. It was nine years and his father had come up empty handed in the case of his mother's death. Nine years … and Ichigo was already willing to die.

Sighing at his sudden sense of depression, he served the last three or so people and then started putting his tools away. He went to the back of the kitchen carrying his—spaghetti sauce?—and started to wash it in one of the many sinks that lined the walls of the kitchen.

He was still washing when a crackling voice sounded from overhead. "Mornin' maggots," came the _cheery_ (haha, cheery!) voice of Kenpachi Zaraki, the boss of the hellhole. "I just lettin' ya know … today the girls' side of prison is movin' in with us. I need all the prisoners to report back to their cells at once."

Ichigo looked up from his dishes and to the little speaker located right above the door. He didn't remember there being an announcement about the girls' side moving in with him and his fellow prison mates. Oh well, it's not like it would cause much of a difference around here.

He would still work; he would still mourn over the life that he never had, this life he was never supposed to have … a life he didn't even deserve. A life that should not have been his. A secret he had kept for so long … his father had tried so hard to get him to testify, to put the guy in jail. His father wanted him to be free. Every day, Ichigo would work and think about what his life could have been … should have been. If he spoke his thoughts outwardly, people would assume he wanted out.

He didn't want out.

He wanted to make himself even more miserable … just because he had to. He had to make himself suffer even more so than the person he killed. He had to be worse off than his dead mother.

And most of the time, he was.

Walking back to the cells, Ichigo mulled over the thought. He was considered the bad ass of this side of prison. He didn't talk to anyone nor did he want to be talked to. If someone pissed him off … well, he'd make sure that person couldn't piss for a week. If someone was arrogant enough to think that he could take Ichigo on … that person would be half dead within two minutes of stepping near the orange-haired man.

Ichigo wasn't the strongest, the best fighter, or even the scariest guy this prison had to offer. He was just … weird, _different_. He kept to himself … he hadn't made any makeshift friends — not even in the nine years he had lived here. He only spoke when he was spoken to. He always had the faraway look in his chocolate eyes.

People had tried to be his friend, sure. They had tried to only end up failing. Sure, some prison mates would sit next to him at lunch and talk … ask him about his past, what he liked to do, etc., but Ichigo never answered. He never intended to answer.

Reaching the corridors containing cells, he quickly found his own — the only one without a neighbor in front of him — and stood there with the rest of the prisoners.

For a while the only sound was the mummers of the other prisoners and the filing in of said people. Then, two huge feet slammed up against the ground from the entry way of their cells. A loud voice yelled, "Alright maggots, line up! Damn it faster!"

The prisoners' bodies became rigid under Kenpachi's gaze. He studied each one of their miserable excuses for faces and then went on. "Okay! Look at the person across from you!" All the prisoners did as they were asked. _Good_, he thought. _I like it better that way_. "These people will be your new roommates for the next year or so, so look at em' and get along!"

Most of the prisoners said nothing. The ones that sighed or even had the slightest demur in their stance, were quick to shut up from either the look in Kenpachi's eyes or the eyes of their new prison mate.

Ichigo looked across from him and knew there was no one there. It seemed that he would luck out and not have to be stuck with someone else. He started to smirk when Kenpachi's booming voice stopped him. "Kurosaki!" he screamed. "Come with me!" Ichigo sighed. It was just like Kenpachi to ruin Ichigo's excitement with that annoying voice of his.

Slowly, Ichigo walked along behind him, receiving glares from the other prison mates. He scowled ahead of him and kept following Kenpachi like a puppy all the way to his office.

"Take a seat, Kurosaki."

Ichigo did.

Around the office there were several filing cabinets filled with, what Ichigo would guess, files of different criminals around this prison. There was a big, wide window behind Kenpachi almost mocking Ichigo as he sat in the hard, poorly cushioned seat. There was several picture frames with many different awards covering the walls. Obviously, Kenpachi was very proud of himself and all his accomplishments.

When he never spoke, Ichigo asked, "Sir, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Kenpachi was staring out the window, to the parking lot and free world below. "Sir?"

"Yes, Kurosaki. I'm waiting."

"For what?"

There was a soft knock at the door. "That" was all Kenpachi said and he walked swiftly to the door. Opening it, Ichigo saw a very petite girl behind it. She was probably a year or so younger than him with raven-colored hair and porcelain skin. Her eyes were the deepest violet he had ever seen. It almost made the girl beautiful.

_Almost_.

She was wearing the black and orange striped jumpsuit just like all the other prisoners, himself included. Her hair was tattered and her porcelain skin was covered with smudges … she was probably picking up trash or something before she was ordered to come here. But, why was she ordered to come here in the first place?

"Come on, Kuchiki," Kenpachi ordered and motioned to the seat next to Ichigo. She did as she was told; she sat down, her hands immediately went to her lap and her feet crossed. She seemed so nervous. What the hell was she — Kuchiki, he guessed — scared of? Kenpachi looked scary but he really couldn't hurt his worthless prisoners (his words spoke louder than his actions) … let alone a girl.

"I know that you two need to get back to work so I'll make this short and sweet," Kenpachi started. "You two are the one boy prisoner and one girl prisoner that will not have roommates the next year or so because of construction. Myself and Captain Yamamoto have chosen you two to stay together."

Ichigo's eyes widened. Not only would he have to share his prison cell … his sacred temple in this hellhole … but, he would have to share it with a girl!? And a weak, nervous girl at that!

Ichigo's temper flared.

"What?!" he yelled, standing to his feet. "I don't want to be with her! Look at her! She won't be able to handle staying here! She's weak and nervous! Look!" The girl looked up at him. He glared down at her before looking back at Kenpachi. For those few brief moments his eyes met hers, he could see the hatred, the anger living there.

"What?" her voice was low and deadly. "What did you say?"

If Ichigo had been talking to any of the other prison mates, he would have stopped arguing then. He may be the bad ass of this prison, but even Ichigo knew his limits. Nevertheless, there was something about this short, out-of-place midget that made him say something back. "I _said_, I don't want you as a mate. Got it, _midget_?"

When she looked at him, her eyes were livid.

"Who said I wanted to be paired up with a carrot like you!" she yelled, getting to her feet. "You are just the annoying bastard who thinks he's better than everyone else here! Well, let me tell you, you're not, you worthless piece of trash!"

Kenpachi watched as the two bickered with an amused smile. He knew they would be a good match. Kurosaki Ichigo was the kid who had been in here since he was nine … he thought he knew everything about this prison and all the people in it would just let him be. Kuchiki Rukia had only been in here for a few years and already she had a reputation of having a spit-fire temper when she was called out but otherwise a pretty soulless girl. Kenpachi could see that there would be no problems with them whatsoever.

They were just too different.

"Okay, you two," he scoffed. They turned to him, their faces enraged and their eyes saying one word: kill. "Before you two pull out your tooth picks as weapons, I have a couple of things to say." He looked back and forth from their faces as he spoke. "First off, you two will not have any kind of intercourse as long as you live under my roof. If I even think once that you two are having sex, I'll make sure you die from work. _Literally_."

They looked disgusted.

"_Her_?!"

"_Him_!?"

"Number two, please keep the bickering to a low roar. You may be the BA of the prison cell, Kurosaki, and you may be the princess of your side of prison, Kuchiki, but you two do not run the place. I do. If you don't shut ya traps and ya eyes when I tell you to sleep, so help me, I will give you extra trash duty for the rest of the time that you two are together. Got it?"

Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other once before gagging and looking away.

"I take that as I 'got it'?" Kenpachi asked as they crossed their arms across their chests at the same moment and grunted.

Kenpachi smirked. "_Good_. You are dismissed."

* * *

**A/N: Whew! That took forever to write! I've been writing bit by bit on the start of this story and let me just say … I'm glad I finally got it going!! Haha. ****Well, the idea is my good friend Chappi15's and she let me use it! Thanks so much Chap, you rock! It's also her sixteenth birthday today, so stop by her profile and wish her a happy birthday!!**

**Oh, and PLEASE REAVIEW!**

**—Zapenbits**


	2. New Life

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

**Previously …**

"_Number two, please keep the bickering to a low roar. You may be the BA of the prison cell, Kurosaki, and you may be the princess of your side of prison, Kuchiki, but you two do not run the place. I do. If you don't shut ya traps and ya eyes when I tell you to sleep, so help me, I will give you extra trash duty for the rest of the time that you two are together. Got it?"_

_Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other once before gagging and looking away._

_"I take that as I 'got it'?" Kenpachi asked as they crossed their arms across their chests at the same moment and grunted._

_Kenpachi smirked. "Good. You are dismissed."_

* * *

_It's official, _Ichigo thought as he slept on the cold, hard floor late the first night Kuchiki Rukia had to stay in his cell. _My life totally sucks. Right now, sucky-ness is like the king of my world. _He sighed. He figured he was being over-dramatic again but he did not feel as if he was.

After all, the princess of the girls' side of prison was staying with him. She was also the princess of yelling, complaining, and kicking. She was annoying. She was rude.

_She_ as in Kuchiki Rukia; Ichigo hated her.

Like she could hear his thoughts, the girl using his bed, shifted from above him. Probably rolling over to find a more comfortable position on the hard mattress, he guessed. God knew if he could have his bed back, he'd never complain about it again. After all, if he shifted on this floor he would probably break an arm or something because it was so hard.

He groaned and moved anyway. On his side, on his back, on his stomach … nothing worked. He pulled his makeshift blanket up to his chin, trying to gain some warmth. Unfortunately, the blanket was too short and went halfway up his shins before it even reached his mid-chest.

Blowing a piece of frustrating orange hair out of his eyes, he threw the blanket aside and stared up at the small window in the back of his cell. There were four bars covering most of the outside world. The moon was up in the middle of the sky, shining brightly to the free world below while stars sprinkled space like freckles.

He stared out that small window for what seemed like hours when in all reality was about five minutes. Images of cars, trains, airplanes, anything that would take him away from this horrid town filled his head. Cheeseburgers, his sister's scrambled eggs, and chocolate-chip cookies wafted throughout his brain, making him hungry for something other than mystery-meat-sauce-and-noodles.

He wondered about the things he could do if he was out of this place. He could get a job. He could go back to school and then go to college. He could have a career. He could fall in love. He could get married. He could have kids. He could be happy.

The key world being _could_.

Even if he was out of here, it was not like any company would hire the likes of him. It was not like his old school would let a convicted criminal get an education there. It was not like he would have the opportunity to go to college more-or-less have a career. It was not like some girl would actually want him. It was not like, even if he didn't get married, that any adopting firm would give him — a _criminal_ — any children.

It was not like he would be happy.

Would it even be better if he got out of this hell on Earth? At that moment, while looking out to the moon, stars shining on the free world below, Ichigo did not believe it would be. Was it better to be in here with men who understood what he was going through — well, most of them anyway — or to be out there where everyone would only treat him like trash?

Suddenly, Ichigo was grateful he was in prison.

Now if only he could get that little _pest_ out of his room. As if hearing him … _again_, she turned and started to snore lightly. He felt like gagging. Just hearing her _breathe_ pissed him off; he didn't know how much longer he could take this before he told Kenpachi that they were having sex just so someone _would_ kill him.

* * *

Rukia woke up with a frown on her face. Of course, the action was not any different from any other morning, but, today it felt … _different_. For one thing, the cell did not smell like her cell. It smelled stale and bitter. It smelled like a man … specifically that of her roommate, Kurosaki Ichigo.

Knowing it was not time to get up yet because the morning bell had yet to ring, Rukia flipped to her stomach, pulled her pillow over her head, trying to block out her sense of smell.

Shortly after falling in a fitful sleep, she was rudely awakened by the crackling of the speakers throughout the prison. "Good morning, maggots!" came the ugly voice of Kenpachi. "It's time to get up! Up up up! We have tons of work to do today!" A pause, a ruffle of what were probably papers and — "Alright cells one to 12 have kitchen duty from eight to noon …"

Rukia drowned out the rest of his announcements. She had long ago figured out the schedule of Kenpachi Zaraki the first month she lived here. Today, she knew, she would have kitchen duty at dinner and her rest time was around three. She would be doing odd jobs and playing recreational games until then.

She sat up and raised her arms, stretching them; she did the same with her legs and her toes. Her foot hit something squishy and not the cold ground she was used to. It was only until she heard the groan that she realized it was _him_ she just hit with her foot. Grinning, she slammed her foot in the back of his head.

"What the hell, midget?!" he yelled, jumping to his feet.

"My name isn't 'midget'," Rukia growled, standing to her feet also. Even with the extra height from standing she still didn't match Ichigo's ability to scare the crap out of people just by his look. She glared up at him, expecting to see him furious … but he was smirking down upon.

Before she could speak the rest of her statement, he beat her to it with, "You're right. It's Princess Midget." He gave her a mock bow before straightening up again, returning her glare with his own. "Now, listen up. I was only nice to you yesterday because you looked like you were going to shit your pants. For the rest of the time you're staying here … you get the floor."

She reached up and patted his head. "Oh, poor peasant," she cooed, playing along with his insult. "I do believe that a princess if higher up than you. And I do believe that" — she dropped her voice low, deadly — "a princess, like myself, will kick your ass to sleep in the bed that is rightfully mine."

* * *

Rukia sat away from most of the girls as she usually did. It was her lunch break; she made sure to pick a table without any occupants … If she did, they would either get up or she would break their necks at any given moment. Her patience was just about gone, and, if someone just said a word to her, she would probably snap.

"Move over midget, I'm not as tiny as you," said who else but the man she wanted to kill.

She glared up at him, clenching her teeth. "And why you, oh Mr. Bad Ass of the prison, want to sit with such a person like me. I mean … I don't seem to be your … _type_," she snapped before turning back to her lunchmeat sandwich, eating with feistiness.

He snickered. "Oh Miss Princess Kuchiki, you should know that you wouldn't be lucky enough to get a bad ass like myself, even if your life depended on it," he retorted.

They glared at each other, and, after a few brief moment, Rukia moved just a couple of inches for him to sit down. He grunted — his thanks? — and took his place beside her.

They did not talk during lunch. They simply ate in silence. People passed them and some of Ichigo's former punching bags would snicker or say something sarcastic to them … the girls would whisper and point to Rukia. Each time someone from her old place would walk around, she would scoot as far away from Ichigo as she could … so no one would call them "together."

She shivered at the thought.

"What's your problem?" he asked, eating the last bit of his sandwich.

"Nothing," she muttered back. He sighed. Scooting closer to her, she moved away. "What the hell are you doing, Kurosaki? Get away from me. I have a reputation to keep."

_Ah, so that's it_, Ichigo thought before smirking. "So you're worried about what other people think, are you? You're worried about your reputation, huh?"

"Well, duh. If people get the wrong idea of us and tell Kenpachi," she explained, pulling her legs up to her chin. Resting there, she picked at her food, and continued. "He said that if he thought we were — _together_ — he'd work us to death. I don't know about you, Strawberry, but I don't want to die so soon."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "You're in for life, aren't you?" — She nodded once — "Then what would be the point of living for the next ninety years? We'll still die here. We might as well go to hell early."

Rukia stood up suddenly, slamming her palms down on the table. Ichigo couldn't see her eyes but her voice was low and deadly. "I don't know what the hell you did that got you in here but I shouldn't be in here. I'm in here because I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. What the hell makes you think that you deserve to die so soon when you belong in here? Bastard."

With that, the princess walked away. Ichigo was left sitting at his lunch table thinking of what the hell got into her … and what she meant by being 'at the wrong place, at the wrong time.'

* * *

"Okay, Princess Midget," Ichigo stated, waiting until the prison doors slammed shut behind him. When he heard the loud 'bang!', he talked while walking over to her side. "It's time for me to break down the rules for you."

He was boring his eyes into her back. She was seated on the far side of his bed, her legs drawn up to her chin, her eyes most likely focused on the wall. Ichigo wasn't even sure if she was listening to him. He sighed. Whatever he had said must have really pissed her off. He had only known her for two days now but he did know that she would have greeted him with an insult.

That was just the way she was.

"Hello, midget," he tried again, again to no avail. "Yo, midget! Look at me!" He flicked the back of her head and she turned slightly to glare up at him.

"What do you want, Strawberry?"

Ah, there was the insult. Now, all he had to do was … "I need to lay down a few rules so you don't mess up the kingdom that I have established here."

"WHAT?!" she shrieked, quickly losing her serene exterior, replacing it with one of anger. She balled her hands into fists and got to her feet … not that it helped her situation much. "Your kingdom? What the hell are you talking about?!"

Ichigo smirked.

Resting his palm on her head, just to tick her off more, he quickly forgot that afternoon at lunch when they nearly … _bonded_. It made him gag at the thought of it. He liked the fireball Rukia. Not the one who was just as depressed as he was to be this place.

"My kingdom," he repeated. "I have order, I have rules. If you're going to stay here for the next year, you're going to have to learn how to live with me. Not the other way around." She was glaring up at him, her eyes so livid they were nearly red. He grinned wider. "Now, take a seat, _princess_, and I'll explain."

She was about to retort, say something back at him, but he clamped a hand over her mouth and shoved her on his bed. "Myu Masole!" she cursed; he could feel her lips on his skin.

"Shut up," he hissed. "Rule number one: I get to sleep on the bed. I'll make it five days a week … that'll give you, the guest, two days of comfort."

Her eyes widened and she tried to protest, her words muffled as he continued.

"Rule number two: you will not talk, sit, eat, or even think about me … unless I approach you first." When she just crossed her arms and glared at the innocent wall, he continued, "Rule number three: you will do everything I say. I am the king of this cell … and you are only the princess."

He gently removed his hand from her face, ignoring the burning he felt while it rested there. He did not know what the burning could be … unless his roommate was somehow a fire-breathing demon (which he would believe) or maybe even a vampire.

She was still looking away. He sighed in relief, because she had not protested. He had had a long day today and fighting with the midget was the last thing he wanted to do. He just wanted to go to bed.

He was about ready to sit down on the ground when she started to yell. "First of all!" she yelled, standing up; he had somehow managed to end up on the floor … that damn midget had scared the shit out of him. "I don't take crap from the likes of you. Second, I'll sleep wherever I damn well please — "

"Five days," Ichigo stated. He sat up, crossed his legs as well as his arms. He looked up at her, his chocolate eyes boring into her violet.

"Three," she replied stubbornly.

Deciding that was good enough for him he said a quick "fine."

"Three," she yelled up three fingers to indicate her point. "You will not talk, sit, eat, or even think about me. Unless, by some chance in _hell_ I need you, _I'll_ come find _you_. Other than that we will not even act like we don't know the other exists."

"Fine by me," he muttered, looking away.

"At lastly, I will do what I want. We may be in jail, _Strawberry_, but this is still a free country. I will do whatever I damn well please. Oh, and about being king … I'm not sure they could find a crown big enough to match the ego you have planted on top of your head."

With that the topic was closed. Rukia sat down on the bed, crossed her arms and legs, and she looked toward the little window in the back of the cell.

Ichigo sighed.

_It seems like we're in one hell of a year_, he thought bitterly.

* * *

**A/N: So concludes chapter two! Woohoo! I love bickering. Like seriously. Can you tell? Haha. **

**Have an awesome week everyone! Please ****review****!**


	3. Searching for an Answer

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

**Previously** **...**

_"And lastly, I will do what I want. We may be in jail, Strawberry, but this is still a free country. I will do whatever I damn well please. Oh, and about being king … I'm not sure they could find a crown big enough to match the ego you have planted on top of your head."_

_With that the topic was closed. Rukia sat down on the bed, crossed her arms and legs, and she looked toward the little window in the back of the cell._

_Ichigo sighed._

It seems like we're in one hell of a year_, he thought bitterly._

* * *

Nine years worth of paperwork was sprawled out on the kitchen table. Sitting in front of said table was a man with black hair sprinkled with just the lightest of gray. His dark eyes were blood shot as he took another swig of the bottle next to him. Nine years … this is what he did every evening.

"Dad?" came the small voice of his daughter, Yuzu. "Dad, are you hungry? Can I get you something?" He turned his head slightly and looked over his thirteen-year-old girl. She was growing rapidly, already five three. Her hair was cropped down to her shoulders as she said it was easier to work with when she cleaned and cooked around the house.

Ever since Masaki died, Yuzu had taken over the role as mother.

"No Yuzu," he replied calmly, softly. "I'm doing alright, right now. Ichigo's case is just … ah, well, difficult." He ran a palm down his face and then brushed back his hair, messing it up further than it had been before.

"Ichi-nii's case is always difficult," she whispered.

"Yes, Yuzu," Kurosaki Isshin agreed. "It always is."

* * *

"Hisana, why don't you come to bed?" came the cold voice of Kuchiki Byakuya. "It's late. You've been at that case for nearly three hours."

Hisana looked up briefly from her work, the papers, files, envelopes covering half of her bed, and to her husband's face. Her eyes were red and weary, her pale skin showed the purple under her eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail; a few strands falling down into her face.

"Byakuya I can't," she said quietly. Her voice that used to be so angelic, so strong was now weak and used. She was so exhausted, why couldn't she just see it? "I have to get Rukia out. If she won't tell the police how innocent she is, then I'll prove it. I just … I have to"—she yawned—"I have t-to work until I c-ca-can't … work any longer."

Byakuya sighed, crawled into bed next to her. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. Some of the paper fell to the floor but Hisana made no move to pick them up. "Hisana, just get some rest tonight," he soothed, stroking her hair, kissing it. "Save Rukia tomorrow. You know that prison is the safest place for her."

She yawned again. "But, Byakuya," she insisted. "I can protect her. We'll move, go somewhere else. America, Mexico, Europe … we can go anywhere. I just have to get her out first."

He brushed his lips up against her forehead, stopping her train of thought. "Tomorrow," he whispered his breath hot on her skin. "Tonight, just get some sleep."

She mumbled her protest, but her breathing slowed and her eyes dropped shut. Not too long after the last words were spoken, Hisana was sleeping. Byakuya sighed again, and did his best to brush all he papers on the floor. Hisana wouldn't mind, she was never organized anyway.

Then, with as little motion as possible, he pulled the comforter up over his wife's small body and pulled her into him. Even in her sleep, she wrapped her arms around his torso and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

There was always tomorrow with Rukia's case, he thought briefly before passing out. There was never a clue, nothing to say that Rukia was innocent. There was nothing that said Rukia wasn't the one who killed that boy, the one she loved so much.

It was only he, Hisana, and Rukia who knew exactly what happened. Though Hisana's determination, protests, and late nights Byakuya knew it would remain that way.

* * *

Kurosaki Karin didn't remember her brother. She had tried, sure, but she never succeeded. She had been only four when he was taken away. There were photos of him around the house along with her mom … whether it was down at the beach, or baking cookies, or whatever, but it wasn't the same.

Ichigo-nii would be eighteen now.

It sure didn't feel like that.

She had never gotten to see him because her father wouldn't let her. He said a place like prison wasn't somewhere he ever wanted her or sister to go, no matter how old they were. It was like Ichigo-nii, though still alive, was frozen at that age when he was smiling and still very young.

He would always be nine in her memory. And even though she was now four years older than he was when he was taken away, Ichi-nii was still Karin's older brother. She loved him though she didn't remember him. He was her hero for being so brave to go somewhere so scary.

Isshin had often said told them that Ichi-nii was away because Mom had died. He was accused of being the one that made her die, but, he wasn't the reason, she learned. He was just there, watching, scared, worried about Mom. He would never hurt her, Isshin would often tell Karin and her sister. He loved Mom more than anyone.

Karin had been sad when her mom died. Yuzu would cry every year when they went to her grave. Her father would smile sadly when he was telling a memory of her.

But Ichi-nii had been saddest of all, Isshin told her. His warm, happy face went cold and stiff when he was taken away. He had only cried twice … once, when he found out she had died and twice, when he sent away.

Poor Ichi-nii, Yuzu would say. Poor Mommy, poor Daddy, poor us. If only Mommy hadn't died then we would all be together, happy. If only Ichi-nii would have told the truth. If only, if only …

That's all Karin would hear. At home, she would hear Dad mumble "If only, if only, damn it Ichigo! If only you would have said something!" In her dreams she would see Mom holding her arms out saying, "If only I was still here you wouldn't be so alone. Ichigo would be okay." She would hear it in her room when Yuzu wept once a week for the loss of her brother and mother. "If only," she would whisper. "If only it wasn't us."

At school, Karin was shunned form the other kids. She sat alone at her own table by the trashcan. In her classroom, there would be a desk separating her from everyone. Her teacher's never called on her to answer questions. No one would pick her to read.

Everyone picked _on_ her. When she actually was around people, they would constantly call her names ranging from just the-kid-who's-brother-killed-her-mom to mean words like "whore" and "bitch."

She hated to go to school.

Even so, it wasn't herself that she was worried about. It was her sweet, innocent sister Yuzu. Her sister was so kind, so loving, and so motherly. To be called something so horrible, it made Karin want to beat someone up.

Often times, when she caught kids picking on her sister, she would beat them until they couldn't fight back. People told her she would be like her brother, she would end up in jail. She didn't want to believe them. She would try not to listen.

She loved her brother, Ichi-nii.

She really did.

But, even so, she didn't want to end up like him. Innocent or not, Ichigo was in a place Karin never wanted to go. Frozen in time, her brother was still only nine years old. Nine years old, and in a place where he could get hurt or worse …

A place he could be killed.

* * *

She was not crazy. People said she was insane because she was still trying to get her murdering sister out of jail. She didn't call herself insane … she called it determination. People at her husband, Byakuya Kuchiki's, work would whisper about her and tell him that he needed to find someone new.

Byakuya knew she was not crazy.

Kuchiki Hisana was not crazy.

She just wanted to get her sister out of jail. For three years she had been searching for a way to nail the guy who killed Rukia's former boyfriend. She knew exactly who killed Rukia's former boyfriend. Rukia knew it too. Metastacia.

Metastacia was a gang leader that Rukia's former boyfriend owed money to. To get to him, they had kidnapped Rukia, beat her … raped her. Then left her to die. Her former boyfriend had come to her rescue just to be ambushed and killed. All he did was protect. All she did was be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And now, she was paying for it.

Outside of Rukia, Hisana and Byakuya were the only two who knew the real story of how Shiba Kaien — Rukia's best friend, soul mate, boyfriend — had died.

And it had stayed that way.

Now, three years later … Kuchiki Hisana was still hoping to get her sister out of prison. She was still staying up until midnight going over autopsy scans and police reports. She was still hoping there was an answer. She was still hoping that something would happen and Rukia would be let go. She was still hoping for a break in the case. She was still hoping. She was still hoping.

And that's all Kuchiki Hisana had left.

_Hope_.

* * *

Staring at the ceiling in her room, Yuzu felt an odd sense of relief. Around here in the Kurosaki clinic, there was never such a pleasant feeling. Here, it was grief, fear, frustration, and anger.

She had never met her brother before but she had the oddest feeling that right now … he was okay. Like, for all these years, he had been so sad and now, he was a little better.

Sighing, the young girl turned to her side and stared out to the cloudless night. The moon was the biggest, strongest, brightest star in the sky, like a mother. The other stars, smaller but just as bright, were like her children.

Yuzu's lip trembled as she tried to not think about the stars and the moon … the children and the mother. Karin's mother, Ichi-nii's mother, her mother was like the moon. And they were the stars that worshiped her.

What would it be like if the moon was to disappear? It would be a dark night, the smaller stars lonely; they would forget how to operate without the moon. It would horrible.

Wiping the tears that fell down her cheeks, Yuzu glanced over to her twin lying in the bed across from her. Karin was always so strong. She always knew what to do. She always knew what to say. She could operate without the moon.

Why was it so hard that Yuzu couldn't? How come Karin had to be the one to get in trouble just because she was protecting her? How was she so strong?

_Why am I not strong like her … like Ichi-nii_? She thought helplessly. _I can't seem to get through each day without crying or being threatened or anything bad happening. I wish that I could be as strong as Karin, as Ichi-nii_.

Her sister was her hero.

And her brother was better now, she knew. She didn't know the reason, but she felt as if the moon had told her … Ichi-nii is alright now. He's found another star, another moon, to watch after him.

* * *

**A/N: I don't like this chapter too much. Meh. It's just a little insight of everyone else: Isshin, Byakuya, Karin, Hisana, and Yuzu. (shrugs). Next chapter should be better though. ****Thanks for reading! Please reeeeviewww!**


	4. Breaking Point

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

**Previously …**

_And her brother was better now, she knew. She didn't know the reason, but she felt as if the moon had told her … Ichi-nii is alright now. He's found another star, another moon, to watch after him._

* * *

The air was cold on her back that morning as she picked up another trash at a local park. So were the stares of the passing men and women on their way to work. They would stare down at her bright orange jumpsuit labeled "Karakura Jail" and they would notice her dirty hair, skin.

She could hear their whispers, all the cruel words they would call her. It didn't affect her though; she wouldn't even look at them. They didn't deserve to be looked at. Who did they think they were? Of course, they probably figured they were better than she was … after all she was in the orange jumpsuit picking up trash while they were in nice suits and dresses headed to a real job most likely.

Sometimes, her life didn't seem fair. Well, it had never really been "fair." After her sister had gotten married to business king, Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia had gone from respected city rat to unimportant sister-in-law. She had to take classes to learn how to be proper, how to be respected in the high society she had been thrown into.

Rukia had never wanted to be a high-class ass, like her brother-in-law. She didn't even know what her sister saw in him.

Not only that but then … she had meant him. She remembered the first day she saw him: she had been a freshman in high school and he was the jock, the most popular boy in school and he was dating the most popular girl in school, Miyako.

The first day she met him, was only a few hours after she first saw him when she was looking for a place to sit in the lunch room in the prestigious private academy Hisana and Byakuya made her go to. So far she had ruled out just about every table … there wasn't even one with a freak! No one here seemed to be freaks; no one in this lunch shift anyway.

Deciding to just throw away her food and hide in the bathroom until the period was over, she had turned around to make a quick escape and she had spilled her food all over him.

_I was mortified_, she thought amused.

But he had laughed and helped her pick up the ruined food. He even offered to buy her another lunch but she declined. He was so kind unlike everyone else at the school.

Rukia wasn't even sure how their relationship had blossomed. They just … clicked. Miyako had graduated that year and left Kaien for some college kid and two days later she and he were officially together.

She had been so happy.

_Look where happiness gets you?_ Rukia said to herself bitterly. She bent over and picked up an abandoned photograph. Smiling lightly, she saw a man and a woman smiling towards whoever was taking the camera. She was so beautiful and he looked like he couldn't keep his hands off her.

Her smile collapsed, leaving the bitter, depressed face to resurface.

She stuffed the picture down the bright yellow trash bag she had in hand.

_Happiness only gets you hurt in the end_.

* * *

Wednesdays had to be Ichigo's favorite day of the week. It was the day that Rukia had to go all the way across town to pick up trash at some park. It was the day that meant he didn't have to deal with her until that evening.

For the past month that he had been living with her, he had fought with her every morning, lunch, and evening. Arguing that much can take a lot out of you, Ichigo had realized. So now he was grateful when he just didn't have to deal with her.

For exactly thirty days, thirteen hours, twenty-two minutes and around twenty-five seconds Ichigo had been stuck with the she-devil from hell; what people said about her spit-fire temper was not even half of the beating he received every evening. For thirty days, thirteen hours, twenty-two minutes and thirty-four seconds he had a horrible headache all the time and he was miserable in his former sanctuary. For thirty nights he had been sleeping on the floor … despite the agreement he and the midget had come to.

His life was less than perfect in so many ways. It had sucked before but now it was even worse because he had the worst roommate anyone could ask for. He would have rather been stuck with a serial killer or a rapist than with _her_.

She was the worst of all. She was so distant, yet right up in his face if he said something wrong. She was cold and arrogant. She was rude and cruel and so depressed. She looked so sad looking all the time, like she was suffering the most out of everyone.

She wasn't the only one.

"Hey, Kurosaki!" someone yelled from behind him. Said man stiffened and tried to block out the … _noise_. He didn't want to have to deal with the owner of this particular voice today. The owner of this particular voice was probably the most irritating man — besides the she-devil of course — out of all the men Ichigo had to deal with.

He was disgusting, big-headed, annoying, and most of all …

"Kurosaki!"

_Persistent_.

"Yes?" He hissed turning around to face the man. When he saw the face he had expected to see, Ichigo felt like puking.

The man was taller than him … which sucked when Ichigo had to stand up for himself. He had the most tribal, prehistoric tattoos etching his arms and face. He was wearing the typical Karakura Jail orange jumpsuit. He was smirking, like he usually was, his eyes holding such confidence that could — and would — intimidate any man … except Ichigo. Above his eyes there was a white bandana covering his forehead and above that was his signature — his bright red hair.

He had been in and out of jail since Ichigo turned fifteen. He would brag about his crimes of stealing cars and armed robbery. Every time he was escorted back in here, he would say he just loved the people and missed the place. Ichigo thought he was a total idiot. If he could get out of here … he would never want to return.

"What do you want, Abarai?"

His face changed to serious, like a life-or-death situation was about to happen. "Some of the other convicts and I are going to play a nice, _friendly_ game of basketball," he explained. "Wanna join?"

"Depends," Ichigo hissed. "Will I have to be on your team?"

Renji glared. "No," he crossed his arms. "You'll be with the skins … Shuuhei's the team captain." When Ichigo looked less than pleased about being on yet another mean who irritated the crap out of him, Renji added, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll lose gracefully."

He frowned and unzipped the top half of his jumpsuit. Pulling off the white t-shirt he had on under it, he threw it to the side and shoved past Renji to the basketball court next to the brick walls of the prison. There were eight men already out there, ready to play. Four were like Ichigo: bare-chested, the jumpsuits pulled down to their hips. The other four were fully dressed, like Renji.

"Okay, the rules of the game are," the new guard with light blonde hair announced. Ichigo didn't know why someone like this man — a tree-hugging, peace shirt wearing, brighter-than-sunshine _freak_ — would want to be a guard at a prison full of _murders_. He was an idiot in Ichigo's opinion.

The man was feeling brave, he supposed, because he stepped forward the semi-circle full of the biggest, most ruthless men in half of Japan to explain the game.

"The game is whoever gets to twenty baskets wins. Each basket is worth one point; not even if you shoot from the three point line. The winners will receive one extra hour of TV for two weeks and the losers have to extra dishes for that same amount of time."

All the convicts, Ichigo included, nodded simultaneously.

The guard looked around. "Alright, let's play ball."

* * *

"I'm sure when you lose, you're girlfriend'll be sure to comfort you tonight," Renji hissed in Ichigo ear as they both struggled to get the basketball that had yet to be passed.

"Can it, Abarai," he replied coldly, trying to ignore the man defending. He watched as the bright orange basketball was heaved his way. Jumping up, Ichigo caught it, ducked under his opponent's arms and shot a basketball efficiently making a point for his team.

_Well, ten if you counted the other shots_, he thought smugly. At the moment, Ichigo could really care less about what Abarai Renji had to say about him or Rukia. The whole game he had tried to get a rise out of him, and, by doing so, violating the "No fighting" rule of the game.

Most of the game, he had just tried to ignore the red-head as he kept calling Rukia his girlfriend and that she would make him feel better when his team had lost. At the beginning, Ichigo had gotten mad, called his opponent a few choice words, but now — because his team was winning — his efforts would be wasted ones.

He was already winning so Rukia wouldn't have to make him feel better when he went back to their hell.

_Wait_, he thought, horrified. Freezing, he told himself that Rukia would never have to make him feel better because he would never try and seek comfort in her; besides, she would probably laugh at him if he did. That, and it was still his hell that they were living in. Well, not _hell_ exactly but …

"Kurosaki!" someone yelled. Ichigo looked up in time to see Renji steal the ball and dribble back up to half-court. Ichigo shook his head and sprinted after the tattooed man. He had to stop thinking about hell and Rukia when he played sports. She was half way across town and she was still bugging him!

After a few moments of scanning his options, Renji passed the ball to one of his teammates and ran to the side of the basket, an obvious play that his team devised on their free time.

The man Renji passed the ball too, passed it to a bald man by the name of Madarame Ikkaku. Ichigo knew him because a year back the man had tried to defend Renji when he was turning his head into a pancake. The request became an argument which became a brawl that stopped when Kenpachi had roughly pulled Ichigo off of the man.

Ikkaku was a favorite of Kenpachi … they were old academy friends he would say and even had a few 'runs together.' Ichigo wasn't sure what it meant but he was sure that Kenpachi had been breaking the law before he had become the warden here.

Since that day, Ichigo had never come close to Ikkaku. If there was one person he didn't want to piss off, it was Kenpachi. Even Ichigo had to admit that the warden was a scary guy.

The game wore on and by the time the game was soon ending, Ichigo realized Renji team was closer to victory than his was. When the hell had they caught up to him, let alone pass?

"Well," Renji said again, into Ichigo's ear. It felt just like minute that he was ignoring the red-head, thinking that his team was going to win and he would get to fight with Rukia tonight. "It seems that your girlfriend will have to make you feel better. You guys are down ten points."

Ichigo growled. "Shut up, Abarai."

Said man laughed and was in his face still, blocking him from any pass that could ever be thrown his way. "Aw, poor baby, such a sore loser! I'm sure Rukia'll tender you up some."

Finally, Ichigo snapped. Raising his fist, Ichigo threw it and it firmly connected with Renji cheek. The man stumbled back a bit before regaining composure. "Well well well," he smirked, stepping forward. "It seems someone's a little protective of his private life."

And with that, history repeated itself for the thousandth time as the ten basketball players forgot the game and fought with each other.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" yelled the angry … no, _livid_ voice of Kenpachi. "You were finally doing something that wasn't moping around and then you go and PUNCH SOMEONE! Do you want a death sentence?!"

Ichigo brought the ice, which had been numbing his busted lip, down to his lap. Looking anywhere but at Kenpachi he replied, "What if I am? Would I really be missed that much?"

Kenpachi stormed from behind his desk and picked up Ichigo by the collar of his shirt so his feet weren't touching the ground.

"Listen hear, you little twit," he hissed. Ichigo could feel the man's hot breath on his face and smell the fast food he had for lunch. "I don't care that you hate your life. I don't care that you can't stand to be here. You got yourself here. It's your fault that you're here.

"Don't give me any crap about saying you don't care because you do. You want to get out of here even though you never will. For as long as you care and as long as you're alive, Kurosaki, you are under my command and my rule. If you die here, it won't look good on my record." He smirked. "If you get into one more fight you'll be transported out of here. You'll go to hell on earth or the state prison, as some like to call it. Do you want that?"

Ichigo briskly looked away, stubborn to answer. Kenpachi's grip on his orange jumpsuit tightened. "No," he finally answered. "It won't happen again." The warden grunted. "Sir," he added.

Then, he was dropped to the floor. Kenpachi walked back behind his desk and sat down. "Get the hell out of here," he said and Ichigo left to go face the she-devil living with him.

* * *

The bars shut behind Ichigo. Seeing that Rukia was leaning up against the wall, reading something, Ichigo stomped over to the bed. He laid down and turned to the wall so the midget wouldn't see his bruises forming on his face.

"There's no point in hiding them," she said, looking up from her book. "The whole prison's buzzing about how you just started beating the crap out of the innocent."

He sighed heavily before hissing, "Innocent? Come on. That's bullshit."

Rukia narrowed her eyes and set her book aside. She pulled her knees up to her chin. "Then why would you start beating him up?"

Ichigo rolled over so he was facing her and glared. "Abarai Renji is an idiot. He'd do anything to win. He was provoking me."

Rukia laughed. "Provoking you? Well, that's a good reason."

"He called you my girlfriend."

Her face went sour. "WHAT?!" She screeched. Getting to her feet, she began to pace the small cell, steam practically coming out of her ears. Ichigo laid calmly on her … _his_ … bed. "That man, what was his name?"

"Abarai."

"Yes, Abarai, he'll need to be killed. Immediately." Ichigo wasn't sure if she knew exactly what she was saying. He laid back, crossing his behind his head. It was just her temper talking, he knew. She threatened his life on a daily basis and had never gone through with her plan.

She was rambling by the time Ichigo had enough. "Okay, Rukia, geez. Calm down. It's not like anyone heard him but me. Besides, you'd only be dreaming if you thought that I would want to be anywhere near you … _willingly_."

Rukia glared from across the room.

_At least she stopped her annoying pacing_, Ichigo thought.

"Just promise me something," she said, her eyes locking with his. He raised an eyebrow, signaling her to go on. "If he ever says anything about 'us' again" — she used air quotes around the 'us' — "that you let me deal with it. My own way."

Ichigo laughed, looking towards the window. "Sure," he replied, secretly thinking that she probably couldn't take him. "It's not like I wanted to stand up for 'us' again anyway." He repeated her motion with air quotes.

He heard Rukia gasp.

He looked back at her and his face scrunched up in confusion. "What?" he questioned, crossing his arms across his chest.

"You … stood up for me?" she asked, shock still evident on her face.

He briefly looked back up at the window before settling his eyes on her again. "Hey, I may hate you with a burning passion, but no one will messes with me and my roommate." He wasn't sure what came over him but the words had escaped him before he had the chance to think his thoughts through.

She looked to the ground, embarrassed. " … Thank you, then," she whispered, awkwardly.

"No problem."

For a while, they sat like that. Rukia, digging the sole of her pitiful excuse of a shoe into the ground while Ichigo looked at the top of her raven-colored hair, wondering what caused the gratitude all of a sudden.

Then, just like every night, she said, "Okay. You've been in my bed too long. Get up!" She crossed the room quickly and shoved him out before he had any chance to reply.

"Oof!" he grunted as he fell to the floor. "What the hell midget?!" he recovered, glaring at her from the hard, cool cement.

"You know the rules!"

"The RULES?! We had RULES! We agreed I got the bed four times a week, you got three. I've been sleeping on the ground for the past month! What do you have to say to that?"

She laughed.

_Way to ruin the moment_, he thought bitterly.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this chapter was kinda hard to write for some reason. It's like I have the whole thing pictured in my head but when I go down to write it … it won't come out. XD. It's weird. Anyway, enough of my problems! What about theirs?!**

**Well, if you don't mind me I'm going to watch the first episode of the last week of **_**Avatar: the Last Airbender**_**. If you don't know what it is … well, forget I ever said this! If you like it … hooray for **_**Nick**_**!**

**I'll talk to you guys soon! Please, review!!**


	5. The New Mate

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

**Previously ...**

_"You … stood up for me?" she asked, shock still evident on her face._

_He briefly looked back up at the window before settling his eyes on her again. "Hey, I may hate you with a burning passion, but no one will messes with me and my roommate." He wasn't sure what came over him but the words had escaped him before he had the chance to think his thoughts through._

_She looked to the ground, embarrassed. " … Thank you, then," she whispered, awkwardly._

* * *

_Two months later …_

* * *

Bending over a large bowl, Ichigo scrubbed with more ferocity that before. The damn tomato sauce — if you consider ketchup and water a _sauce_ — was stuck to the bottom of the bowl, crusted over from the time it had spent neglected from lunch.

It was already after dinner and Ichigo was still scrubbing. Two whole weeks of extra kitchen duty because of the damn basketball game was why he was here now and not in his cell. His whole team had left him here all alone because they thought just cleaning the bowls they used was good enough.

Now he was stuck doing it. The guards at the door hadn't done anything about the men who had already left. They told him it was probably good to take his anger out here so he wouldn't beat up on the next innocent man he'd see.

Innocent man … _right_.

Glancing up from the sink, Ichigo looked to the digital clock on the wall. The time read 11:28. Sighing, he looked around the kitchen to see hundreds of plates and bowls still stacked up from dinner. Ichigo growled, closing his eyes. He was so tired of cleaning all of these dishes. He was tired, period.

He wanted to go back to his cell … he wanted to go back home.

And no, it wasn't the house attached to a clinic where he had lived until he was nine years old. It was his former sanctuary; now it was his personal hell with the she-devil residing there. Of course, now Ichigo was used to it … to _her_. Now, it was just home.

* * *

Rukia leaned up on her elbows to look outside her cell. Seeing complete black, she sighed again and leaned back, resting her arms behind her head. _Oh well_, she thought. _If that idiot wasn't going to get back good riddance. He was annoying anyway_.

Of course, the reassurance didn't exactly make her feel better. Ichigo hadn't come in until real late for the past couple of weeks and today was the latest of all. He wouldn't tell her either because he was probably too embarrassed to talk about it. She just assumed he probably had a girlfriend; then again, all prisoners were escorted by guards if, by chance, they were out past lights off.

Rukia sighed. As a child, she had always loved mysteries and figuring out clues. She would watch _Scooby Doo_ for hours, and, when she was older, _Law and Order_ took the pup's place. When she had gotten in here, all of her goals of possibly doing something in the criminal justice had vanished, for obvious reasons.

Now, with Ichigo acting so strange lately and with his long-termed absences, she finally had the chance to solve a case again. Of course, with a reluctant suspect everything was much more difficult.

As if he could somehow hear her thoughts, she heard a rattling and Ichigo came scuffling in, looking as if he had just been denied a date by the head cheerleader (figuratively speaking of course).

He melted to the floor like some kind of gelatin. He hadn't even tried to argue for the bed that night; he usually would put up a wimpy fight for the lost cause even on his _worst_ nights. _Something's definitely wrong_, Rukia concluded. "Hey," she said. "Where were you?"

He turned away from her so he was facing the wall opposite of the bed.

"Ichigo …" her calm exterior was quickly rotting away, replaced by one of irritation. "Hey, Strawberry! What's going on with you?"

He didn't even react to the pet name Rukia had given him. _That was odd_, she thought. He always had some retort to '_Strawberry_.' What was so horrible that he had completely lost interest in fighting with her? What the hell happened to him?

She sighed. "Fine, don't talk," she scoffed. "I'm just a concerned roommate. That's all. I mean, if you have a girlfriend or something, it's not like I care."

"It's not a girlfriend," he mumbled so quietly Rukia hardly heard him.

"Then what is it?"

He growled and sat up. Turning back toward her, amber eyes locked with violet. "It's nothing really. I just have to stay after everyone else and finish dishes. The other guys that I'm supposed to do the job with will just leave after washing the dishes they've used. The guards let them go. I'm stuck washing all of them."

Two months ago, Rukia would have called him a baby and would have told him to suck it up. Now that she had gotten to know him better — and the fact that they couldn't get out of their rooming situation no matter how much they had pleaded with Kenpachi — she realized that he wasn't treated as fairly as the other prisoners. Tack on her annoyance she tried to cause him, he was practically a walking time bomb.

"Well," she turned to her side. "How about … I help you. I mean, I'm sure the guards won't mind if you have a fellow convict working with you. They might even approve of it." He looked at her like she was crazy. "Look," she tried again. "You'll get the dishes done faster, so you can get some sleep and I won't be stuck here all by myself! It's a win-win situation!"

He sighed, running a hand through his sunset hair. "Last time I checked, we still weren't getting along too well. You know, you hit me pretty much every time you see me … and the arguing. We aren't exactly 'world's number one team.'"

Rukia laughed. "Fine," she replied. "I'll let you do all the work while I stay here … sleeping in this nice, comfortable bed. You know, it's nice when you're not around." She smirked. "It's so much quieter when you're off doing your dishes, like a good little boy."

He growled. "If you want to help, fine. You can help. But I don't want you to get in my way. That means, we'll be on opposite sides of the kitchen. Got it?"

She gave him a mock salute. "Yes, your highness!" Finally, after two weeks of frowns and scowls, Ichigo cracked a grin. "Aw," she cooed. "There's the smirk we all know and love!"

He chuckled. "My only question is," he said, still smirking, "if we're the king and princess, why do we have to do the dishes? Wouldn't we have people under us doing stuff like that?"

And suddenly, Rukia felt like it was old times. She would be sitting on the bed, lying on her stomach, joking and laughing with Ichigo as he sat cross-legged on the concrete ground. They would talk about what they did during the day and make jokes about each other (Ichigo the honorable Strawberry, and Rukia the Princess Midget.) She hadn't realized until right then that she had missed this.

It was strange, she thought. Two months ago, she wouldn't have cared if Ichigo had died. Hell, she would have figured it was more space for her to live. Now though, though she despised to admit it … Ichigo was, in a way, her closest friend.

For the two years she had lived here, she had never come close to making friends. She hadn't wanted to because she was too busy wallowing in her guilt and her problems. Anyone who had tried to come near her was easily rejected. After a while, no one had tried.

Now though, she had someone who had shared the same feelings she did. Now, she had knew someone, was friends with someone, who didn't even want friends.

It gave her a warm feeling in her stomach and she didn't hate it. Not at all.

* * *

"Hey, Strawberry," his roommate greeted, setting her tray down next to his; she took her place next to him on the lunch table they usually sat at. Her head blocked the sun; he'd have to give her hell about that later while they were doing dishes.

"Hey, Princess," he replied, taking a hefty bite of his sandwich.

They ate lunch in silence like they did every day. People would pass them and whisper, like they usually did. Abarai Renji would glare from his table full of friends along with the entire basketball team Ichigo had played and lost with. Rukia had the normal pack of girls whispering about her when they passed but that didn't really matter … they were worthless anyway.

"So," Ichigo said, finishing up his food. "Are you ready to do some dishes tonight?!" He was trying to sound enthusiastic … he was failing miserably.

"Sure Kurosaki," she replied, waving his eagerness away. "Just don't go all optimistic on me. I don't know if I could deal with someone other than the negative Ichigo. That'd be too weird." Setting down the rest of her sandwich, she looked over to him and flashed a grin to his glaring face.

They both sighed, eloped into a comfortable silence. They picked at their food until it was close to the end of lunchtime, then they went to throw their food away and give their trays to the men and women on kitchen duty. As they headed back to their table for a man came running out of the prison with a bounce in his step, almost if he had something very important to tell everyone.

"Hey! Everyone!" he was older than Ichigo and Rukia, yet not as old as Kenpachi. He had brown hair hidden under a green bandana he wore. He looked like a total loser.

"What do ya want, Shiba!?" someone yelled.

Everyone had made a semi-circle around said man. He had his hands raised towards the heavens, like a preacher Ichigo remembered seeing in church when he was younger. Then, he said ever-so-quietly, "There's a new prison mate coming today."

"What? Who?"

The man giggled, enthusiasm etched his features. "He's coming tonight! I just overheard a couple guards talking about it … he supposedly is some big gang member or something. Supposed to be a legend on the streets or something like that."

"Hey! Lunchtime over! Get back to work!" guards by the doors started to shout their orders. The convicts sighed, wanting to hear more about their new mate, but went back to their jobs willingly. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to see an actual gang leader because they had gotten in trouble and had extra cleaning duty or night watch.

To most of them it was cool, having such a man living in close quarters with them. To some … it was the total opposite; after all, this man was a murderer for all they knew … he could probably kill some of the men in here with just a finger.

"Oh god," Ichigo mumbled, slapping his forehead. "Not another one. I bet he'll have to room with us too just because Kenpachi wants some entertainment!"

Rukia laughed. "We'd be an … _interesting_ cell, to say the least."

"Interesting," he mumbled. "We would probably be dead after the first day. The new guy would get mad just because we stepped in his line of vision or something."

"Well, let's stay out of that direction then," she replied. "Speaking of which, this is where we separate Strawberry." They were inside the building, in crossroads of two different hallways with their jobs awaiting them at different ends.

Ichigo had to go right, Rukia left.

"I'll see ya tonight then, princess."

"Right. See you around, your highness."

* * *

He didn't plan on coming here. He had planned on escaping the country, leaving behind the life he had lived … to go start somewhere new and gain more territory. He hadn't planned on one of his men being an undercover cop, reading to bust him on his next drug run.

Damn. He couldn't even trust his own people anymore.

And now he was paying the price of trust. As a child, he never had dealt with the act of trusting someone; after all, he never really had a chance. After his mother and father had been killed in a car accident, he had been tossed around from relative to relative.

Finally, when he finally reached somewhere that was permanent, he was too far into the hole he had dug himself into. He was addicted to the art of drugs, of crime.

Now, as a successful gang member, being sent to jail was embarrassing. After all, there were things he hadn't gotten to do before he was finally caught. He hadn't stolen from a few places or taken down a couple of powerful gangs. He hadn't killed that damn girl when he had the chance …

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. The next year or two were going to be rough. After he finally got out, not only would he have to live up to his former name again, but he'd have to surpass whoever had taken charge of his gang.

It was so troublesome. Why couldn't people just take care of the jobs they were assigned without question? Why did they feel the need to be … honorable or worthy of anyone else but himself?

* * *

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Rukia asked as she and Ichigo were walking back to their cell. She nudged him in the side when seeing his pouting face.

"I guess not," he mumbled, crossing his arms and looking away from her. She smirked; the man was such a baby sometimes. He looked as if someone had just killed his goldfish _all the time_.

After passing the numerous cells of glaring men and vicious women, they finally reached the little coven in the prison. The doors slammed shut behind them; they sighed simultaneously. "Whenever I go down that hallway I always feel as if I'm being watched," she commented, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Yeah, I know. Creepy."

Their silence was broken quickly by the shouts of the men and women in other cells; there was the swift sound of a slamming door. Rukia and Ichigo gave each other a passing glance, before running to the bars blocking them from freedom.

People were gasping. Some were whispering. Rukia could only catch the last bit of one of the convicts' conversation … something about the new mate; it must have been the gang leader.

It was completely dark except for the flashlight the guards used to guide their way to whatever cell the man was going to stay in. It was actually kind of creepy. She had gotten so used to the moonlight illuminating her nights; the complete pitch black of the hallway was kind of frightening.

The man was coming close. She had thought the whole idea of getting too excited about the new convict was a little dumb, but, for some reason, she couldn't wait to see who this man was. She was actually eager to see this man. What had he done in order to become a head gang leader? Was he well respected around the town or just not taken seriously?

But, when the man came into view, Rukia immediately recoiled from the bars blocking her from freedom; suddenly, she was happy to be confined to this cell … it was safe here.

She hid behind Ichigo has the man passed. She hoped he hadn't seen her. She prayed to god that he hadn't seen her. Ichigo didn't question her; instead, his amber eyes locked with the man's black eyes. As he passed, he looked nowhere else but at Ichigo.

And as Rukia hid behind said man, she was grateful. For the man passing them was the reason why she was here, why she had been here for so long.

He was the man who had killed Shiba Kaien.

* * *

**A/N: So, I uploaded my first oneshot series (woohoo!) a few days ago. I'm probably going to upload another chapter in that later today. It's called, "Just a Dream." ****Please, if you have time, check it out! ****Other than that, I've got nothing much else to say, really except review! I worked my behind off to get it updated today. I'll talk to you guys soon! ****Please review!**


	6. Storm

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* * *

**

I don't own Bleach.

* * *

**_Previously_ ...**

_She hid behind Ichigo has the man passed. She hoped he hadn't seen her. She prayed to god that he hadn't seen her. Ichigo didn't question her; instead, his amber eyes locked with the man's black eyes. As he passed, he looked nowhere else but at Ichigo._

_And as Rukia hid behind said man, she was grateful. For the man passing them was the reason why she was here, why she had been here for so long._

_He was the man who had killed Shiba Kaien._

* * *

It had been eight days since the last time Ichigo heard his roommate speak. Eight days they had ate lunch in silence, finished their job in the kitchen in silence, and went to their cell _in silence_. They hadn't argued over anything because, frankly, nothing riled Rukia up anymore.

Her sudden change her personality was caused by that new convict, the gang leader. He remembered her expression that night: terror, grief … it was almost as if her whole life and all the things she had done wrong were thrown in her face just by this man passing.

Questions rattled his mind. Why was the new prison mate such a big deal? What had he done to Rukia to make her look so terrified? Or maybe, what had she done to him?

Shaking his thoughts off, he continued clean the last bit of dirt off of the cell floor. His job today was cleaning duty for all of the male barracks. Rukia's job was to clean all the women's. It was safe to say he would be cleaning the women's side too.

She also hadn't showed up for any of her jobs after that night. For eight days Ichigo had been covering her shifts, hoping that she would just come back normally. At night she would come in late and when morning came she'd be gone already.

When he did have the opportunity to even get a word in with her, she wouldn't answer his questions or tell him anything about the man who had caused her sudden change in attitude. She would just look away from him and stare at something else.

It was quite irritating.

Sighing, Ichigo ran a hand through his orange locks. She was so confusing. At first she hated him; granted, he hated her as well but they had changed. Finally, after a month and a half of doing whatever they could to make the other tick, they became makeshift friends. Then, she was the closest person to him. Now, she was … unresponsive. It was like she was a walking vegetable.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was worried about her. Nothing could make her mad; she was the untouchable, spit-fire Rukia Kuchiki … she wasn't someone to mess with. Now, she'd take any hit he would throw at her; whether he called her midget or princess didn't even matter.

When the girls at lunch whispered about her — loud enough she could hear, he might add — she wouldn't glare at them and mumbled death threats under her breath. Instead, she would shy away and pick at her food. Like she was self-conscience. Like she cared what they thought of her.

It wasn't the Rukia Kuchiki he knew.

It wasn't his Rukia Kuchiki.

_His Rukia._

He growled and threw his broom across the small cell. Crossing his arms, Ichigo paced the room, questions rattling throughout his brain. He just couldn't understand what was wrong with her. Why was she acting like this? What was wrong with her?

Usually, he would have just opted to ask the bastard himself. But this particular man scared him more than Kenpachi did. The look his eyes had the intent to kill. Of course, most of the men were in here for some kind of crime but all the ones he had beat up were his prison mates.

That was how they all showed affection towards one another.

This man though … he looked like he was on a mission. He was stronger than most men though definitely not as tall. He wore the typical jumpsuit only it seemed darker on him with his black hair and charcoal eyes. He looked like death.

He was always alone, despite his popular reputation. He never spoke unless he was spoken to. He was always staring in the distance as if he was in deep thought. He was intimidating and no one approached him no matter how much they may have looked up to him.

On one side, Ichigo couldn't blame Rukia for being so scared. On the other, he thought it was a little strange that she seemed to know this man … even before anyone else knew him. To him, she was the girl who never got scared. She could be on top of the world, about ready to jump off into space and she wouldn't have a lick of fear on her. On the contrary, she'd be smirking.

But this man, he made her nearly cry out in fear. She was nearly hysterical all the time; wide-eyed, crazed, and paranoid. She was like a puppet, an imitation. She wasn't human anymore.

And the thing scary Ichigo the most was that all he could do was sit on the sidelines twiddling his thumbs while she was suffering. He couldn't do anything to help her. _Nothing_.

* * *

How long had it been? One hour? Two? Three days?

She couldn't tell. Staying in a place like this, time was irrelevant. It was dark; she couldn't even see her fingers dancing in front of her eyes. She was scrunched into a little ball; her eyes were closed tight. She was imagining anything other than the danger that lurked outside.

_"Come here, little girl. That's a mighty short skirt you're wearing."_

The man outside had nearly killed her and had killed Kaien. He was a danger on the outside too every kid who went from street rat to noble princess. He was murderous. He was evil.

She had to distance herself from everyone in order to save them. And that meant everyone. She couldn't let him know that she was close to anyone. She couldn't let anyone get hurt. Especially Ichigo.

_"If you tell anyone about this, we will kill them."_

She couldn't tell Ichigo why she was hiding. She couldn't tell him her life was in danger for fear that he would try to be a hero and protect her. She couldn't tell him because she had to save him. She couldn't tell him because she couldn't lose him too.

_"Kaien … K-Kaien … they're trying to kill me. They said I wasn't supposed to tell anyone or they'll kill me. Please, please … I'm so scared, Kaien. Please help me."_

She heard footsteps outside of her one place of safety and stopped breathing. She couldn't afford to be heard … not while the man who killed Kaien was here, Metastacia. He would kill her. He would kill Ichigo. And then he would make it look like it was Rukia or some other convict's fault.

The footsteps passed and she sighed, trying to calm her heart. She breathed through her nose and out of her mouth, soothing her nerves.

_"Rukia, I'll help you. Don't worry, you won't die. You won't get hurt. I'll protect you."_

No one could help her. No one could save her. She was all alone in this fight. It was her up against the king's army. It was one versus one million. She wasn't going let anyone get hurt because of her.

She wasn't worth it.

"_Kaien! K-Kaien! No … don't leave me … Kaien! _Kaien_!"_

* * *

"Berry-head is needed to report to Warden Kenny's office right away!" the peppy voice of Yachiru Kusajishi, Kenpachi's assistant, cheered over the speakers throughout the prison.

Ichigo mumbled a string of colorful curses under his breath, before setting the mop and bucket aside. He walked out of the cell and headed to Kenpachi's office.

When he reached it, he was greeted by the same small woman who had called him down there. Over the years, she had learned to trust him enough to give him the irritating nickname, Berry-head.

"Hey Ichi!" she said, her pink hair bouncing as she hopped over to him. "Kenny looked pretty mad when he told me to call you down here. I don't know what's wrong with him. He wouldn't tell me. Big meanie." She pouted, crossing her arms and looking away from him.

Ichigo chuckled before knocking lightly on Kenpachi's door. "Sir? Sir, it's Kurosaki Ichigo. You wanted to see me," he said loudly so Kenpachi could hear him.

"Yeah, yeah. Come in!" said man yelled back.

He took a deep breath and went inside. When he did, he was greeted with the familiar filing cabinets spilling over with papers and file folders and Kenpachi was right in the middle of his dissertation kingdom.

"What did you want, sir?"

He looked up from a paper he was signing to Ichigo who was still confused as to why he was even here in the first place. "Ichigo, just the person I wanted to see."

_He's acting weird_, Ichigo thought. _What the hell is going on_?

"You might have noticed the absence of your roommate, Rukia Kuchiki," Kenpachi said. He looked up to Ichigo and said man nodded. "Now, I don't know what the hell is wrong with her but I know, despite your trying to cover it up, she's been skipping out of work for a week now."

Ichigo's eyes dropped to the floor. He was so dead and in so much trouble. He was going to get even more kitchen duty now. Ugh, this so wasn't fair.

"You're not in trouble."

_What?_

"What?" he repeated his thoughts to Kenpachi. "What do you mean, sir?"

"I know that you and Kuchiki are close" — he was about to protest but Kenpachi raised his hand to stop him — "and I know the only person she'll tell is you. You have to get her to go back to work. You can't keep covering her shifts, Kurosaki."

Ichigo glared at the floor. "I've tried to tell her," he protested. "I've asked her what the hell is wrong with her! She doesn't answer! She's like a freakin vegetable!!"

He had stood up by then and he was pacing the room.

"K-Kurosaki … Kurosaki. KUROSAKI!"

He stopped pacing to look over to Kenpachi. "Sorry, sir," he mumbled. "I – I just … I don't know what to do. She's terrified of everything and she won't talk to me. It – it scares me … sir."

Ichigo had never felt so defenseless before. He didn't know how to act in this situation; his best friend — now that he could actually admit it — was hurting and he couldn't do anything to help her. He couldn't save her or protect because she wouldn't let him.

"Kurosaki," Kenpachi said. "You know Rukia Kuchiki better than anyone here. All you need to do is get her to talk. Tell her something she didn't know about you or something. Just do something. I don't want to tell the big man to send her somewhere else. Like the state prison."

It was probably the most sincere thing Kenpachi had said to anyone.

And Ichigo could only nod.

* * *

It was nearly midnight before Rukia actually showed up. Ichigo was lying on the floor, counting number of dots there were on the ceiling. So far he counted nearly five-thousand and eight of them; of course that was just a quick estimate.

When the door slid open and slammed shut, he leaned up onto his forearms to see her: her arms crossed over her chest, her slow, shuffled walk, and her head hanging. "Hey, Rukia," he greeted. Not bothering to waiting for an answer he added, "Where were you today? You know Kenpachi is going to find out you've been sneaking out from your jobs."

Rukia looked up at him, her eyes dead, and shrugged. Then, she shuffled over to her bed, laid down, and faced the wall, away from Ichigo's perspective.

He sighed. _Good going, Ichigo_, he thought bitterly. _"Tell her something she didn't know about you or something. Just do something,"_ he remembered Kenpachi telling him. Well, it was worth a go.

"When I was a kid and my dad got mad at me," he said. "I would go to my room and hide in my closet. I always hated getting in trouble and I would cry until my mom found me. She would sit inside the closet with me and tell me about her day.

"It always made me feel better. And I would come out and tell her what was wrong with me and what I should have done. She would hold my hand when I told my dad that I was sorry and then we were cool again. I always felt better after I told someone what was wrong."

He saw Rukia's hair move back a little throughout his story so her ear was exposed. She was listening; that was a good thing.

"Princess," he said seriously, wriggling his hands a bit. "Rukia. Please, tell me what's wrong. I'm on my hands and knees … well, ass and forearms. Please, what's going on?"

She sat up and pushed herself so her back was against the wall. She patted the area next to her and Ichigo scrambled to his feet and sat down next to her.

She leaned her head back on the cold, concert wall. When she didn't say anything, Ichigo wrapped an arm around her shoulder, in an effort to comfort her. He expected her to shake it off, but she didn't. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder. He pulled her in tighter.

"What going on?" he asked again.

"I shouldn't tell you," she whispered. "Last time I told someone what happened to me, he died and then I ended up here. I don't want anyone to get hurt …" Ichigo stayed quiet, afraid that if he said something, she'd clam up again and he'd never get the answers he wanted.

"The new mate," she said, "he's the reason I'm here."

"What do you mean?" he couldn't help but ask.

Her eyes locked on the small window by the ceiling. She looked at the moon which was covering up with storm clouds. She heard thunder just seconds before it started to pour. _What a perfect time for a horror story_, she thought grimly.

"That man … Metastacia. The new mate is the man … that killed Kaien Shiba, the person I 'killed', in order to get here," she murmured. "You know I'm in here for life for murdering my boyfriend. I-it wasn't me who killed him … it was Metastacia."

Ichigo looked down in surprise. He saw her porcelain cheeks were tinted scarlet as tears fell down her cheeks silently. "I-if," she went on. She looked up at him. Amber locked with violet and, for the briefest moment, Ichigo could see the pain, the suffering his roommate had endured.

"If he knew I was here," she whispered so quietly Ichigo could hardly hear her. She looked away, back to the rain. Some of the drops escaped the outdoors and fell silently down the window seal. How she wished she could be out there even if it was the rain.

Focusing on the warmth radiating off of her roommate, her partner, and her best friend, she said, "He'd kill me and he'd kill you because of what happened. Because I was the one who didn't die.

"I'm the one who knows the truth."

And Ichigo's heart clenched with the pain evident in her voice.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I didn't want to force my writings. So here you go with the next chapter! I know, I know, kinda short and yet another cliffhanger but, at least I got it out, right? Right.**

**Oh, and I finished "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer! If you haven't yet, read it! It's amazingggg!))**

**Have a wonderful week and please please PLEASE review!!**


	7. Detail by Detail

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_**Previously**_** …**

"_If he knew I was here," she whispered so quietly Ichigo could hardly hear her. She looked away, back to the rain. Some of the drops escaped the outdoors and fell silently down the window seal. How she wished she could be out there even if it was the rain._

_Focusing on the warmth radiating off of her roommate, her partner, and her best friend, she said, "He'd kill me and he'd kill you because of what happened. Because I was the one who didn't die._

_"I'm the one who knows the truth."_

_And Ichigo's heart clenched with the pain evident in her voice._

* * *

"What happened?" his voice was a raw whisper; just the slightest waver of sound in the silence that eloped the small cell. He didn't know what else to say. It was like all the judgments he had made about her; all the hurtful words he'd said about her, were actually all a lie.

She had been robbed her of life, just like he had. She had been hurt in only the ways Ichigo could understand … because it had happened to him too.

He couldn't believe that she was actually — _innocent_. He knew that he was here, not because he killed his mother but because he might as well have, and that he really wasn't supposed to be. But Rukia always seemed like she really was guilty.

Maybe she felt even worse than he did. After all, he had lost his mom when he was a child, if he had told the truth about what had happened to her, he could have been relatively okay with his life by now. Rukia though … she had been fifteen when it happened, when she was sent here.

He knew that the image she carried as a burden wouldn't fade away like many of the memories he had including his family. She would remember that day; detail by detail for the rest of her life.

For Ichigo, the night his mother died had always been blurry. Even from the day after it had happened, he could hardly remember any of it. The only thing that had stuck with him was the metallic smell of the blood and the hot, stinging tears that had fallen down his cheeks relentlessly.

Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and pain for Rukia that was overridden by the disgust he felt for himself.

He couldn't believe that all this time — nine _years_ — he had felt sorry for himself when someone like Rukia, for two years anyway, had been hurting so much more than he had. He couldn't believe he would feel that or that he had been that way.

He was having an epiphany. Suddenly, he saw _everything_. He saw all the fights he had gotten into from beating up Renji to Ikkaku to Shūhei and other anonymous prisoners. He saw his first nights here when he would cry himself to sleep with no hope of his mother coming to make him feel better.

Because she was gone.

Because she was dead.

He saw his father and the small wallet-sized photographs he had brought of his twin sisters, now thirteen or fourteen, Karin and Yuzu. He saw the wrinkles that had decorated his father's face and the bags that hung over his eyes.

He saw all the pain he had caused; all the pain he thought he had prevented if had just told the truth. His family was suffering because of him. And there was no reason why they should be.

* * *

"What happened?"

It had been just seconds since Ichigo had asked his question. Rukia had her knees pulled up to her chin, her head still resting on Ichigo's warm shoulder.

She didn't know how to answer his question. She had already been stupid enough to tell him just enough that he would keep asking her about it until she finally answered. And it surprised her how much she wanted — _needed_ — to tell him everything.

And so she began.

* * *

— _**Flashback**_** —**

It was just her luck that the first day she would enter the academy every possible seat would be full of cliques she didn't belong to. From corner to corner there were tables, all filled with beautiful, rich students.

And then there was Rukia.

She was awkward and uncomfortable in this type of situation and in this new school. She was used to the rough, dirty streets of Rukongai Town not the snobby, clean hallways of Seireitei Academy.

She clutched the plastic rim of her lunch tray like a life line as she looked her left to her right. All she saw were prominent stuck-ups, all too beautiful for comfort, and so lazy that when they lifted their fingers they'd probably strain something.

Deciding there was no reason why she needed to be here in the first place, Rukia quickly headed over to a small window to drop off and throw away food. She spun on her heal, tears already forming in her eyes when she crashed into something tall, white, and hard.

"Oof!" she grunted as she fell backwards onto her back. The spaghetti, apple sauce, and chocolate milk all flew down on top of her, ruining the new blouse and khaki pants Hisana had bought her for her first day, because she wouldn't get her uniform until the end of the day. She heard laughing and looked up to find those kids she had wanted to avoid, all knew her now.

She was _mortified_.

Tears sprang from her eyes like drops from a rusty faucet. Living on the street, she had never cried. Not when her friends died, not when Hisana almost left her all alone, and not when she had lost another street fight and had to give up whatever food she had scavenged.

But now, when she was in front of people that mattered — people she couldn't run away from just because she didn't like them — she was showing the ultimate sign of weakness: weeping, crying, and soon sobbing.

_Why now? _She pleaded silently.

She heard a big booming chuckle over the rest; it stuck out the most because it wasn't the cruel kind of sneer everyone else was producing, he — because she was sure the pitch of this particular person was male — sounded like he was brushing off the accident as an "everyday" thing.

Looking up, Rukia saw a very tall man with shaggy dark hair that looked as if he had just rolled out of bed and called it good. He had the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen. They were shining with amusement and hospitality; something she had been deprived of since becoming a Kuchiki.

"Hey," he spoke, his voice still ringing from laughter. He flexed his hand down and she grabbed it. He hoisted her up on her feet.

Looking straight into his chest, she saw his crisp, clean, white uniform jacket was now a strange color of pinkish-red. Her face flushed. "Oh no," she mumbled. "Oh, I – I'm so sorry!" She looked up to meet his eyes again; the ocean looked back at her.

"No worries," he put a hand up, waving off her apology. "I hate white anyway. It's such a boring color. Spaghetti sauce is … much more exciting."

He grinned crookedly down to her, winking.

She gave a small smile back. "I guess …" she trailed off, uncomfortable with the silence that eloped the whole lunch room, as soon as the mysterious man had helped her back up on her feet.

"Name's Kaien Shiba," he said suddenly, reaching his hand out again.

"Um …," she replied nervously. She didn't shake his hand. Instead, she wrapped them around her torso, afraid the embarrassment would break her if she didn't hold on.

He raised an eyebrow. "What your name?" he pressed, just the tiniest bit of annoyance in his tone. She looked up in surprise. She hadn't expected a man like _that_ could have anything less than amusement or kindness in his voice.

"My name is … R-Rukia Kuchiki," she stuttered, face heating up again.

"Nice to meet you, Rukia Kuchiki."

"Um … you too, Kaien Shiba."

— _**End Flashback**_** —**

Breaking off suddenly, Rukia looked up to the small window to her freedom. It was still raining but it looked just as welcoming as it did every other day when it was sunny. She frowned, and wiped the remaining tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

Ichigo was like a statue, just sitting there and listening. He didn't say anything when she stopped talking; he just kept staring at the opposite wall. His grip was tighter though just like the hold she had around her middle; it was almost as if he was trying to hold her together as well.

It was almost as if she wasn't in the world alone.

She shook her head, a new wave of sadness washing over her. She couldn't believe that she had anyone else but herself. Sure, Ichigo had been somewhat of an acquaintance — okay, more of a best friend — but, the closer he got, the danger he was in increased.

She couldn't hurt him. She couldn't get him killed.

He meant so much to her already.

— _**Flashback**_** —**

"Miss Kuchiki," said a small voice behind said woman's thick bedroom door. The younger Rukia, now fifteen, looked over from her king-sized bed.

Sighing, she laid down the book she was reading and rolled over on her back. "What do you need?" she replied grumpily, already pissed her alone time had been interrupted. There weren't a lot of moments that Rukia wasn't at school, doing her homework, going to some stupid noble classes, or at a particular school event, and she savored them when they came around.

Now, she had to do something else. Couldn't she ever just a have a normal Saturday? One where she'd sleep till ten and then do nothing but eat junk food and watch TV all day?

_No_.

Because her life sucked. Except for that one little exception …

"Miss Kuchiki, Mr. Kaien Shiba is here to see you. He said, and I repeat, 'I want her lazy ass down here in five minutes or I'll come up there and beat her senseless.'"

Rukia smiled. Jumping out of bed, she ran to her walk-in closet ( not that she had enough clothes to fill the whole thing up ), and threw the doors open.

She ransacked the area, throwing combination after mismatch together. Finally she opted for just a pair of jeans and a Seireitei Academy hoody with a white tank top on under it. Despite that it was raining outside, it was still rather warm. If Kaien was planning to take her out, she wanted to be prepared for anything.

She opened her door to find the maid still standing there. "Um, thank you for the message," she replied to the timid girl, barely older than she was. "Kaien has a colorful mouth, doesn't he?" She laughed at her own joke and the maid chuckled nervously.

"I guess I'll show you to the door," the girl said, more of a decision than an offer. Rukia nodded silently and they headed down the long, wrapping hallways of the Kuchiki mansion and down the grandest set of stairs she had ever seen in her short life.

As she reached the bottom of the steps, Rukia saw her exception. "Kaien!" she yelped, like she hadn't known he was here. He turned around from the statue of some Greek god Byakuya had placed there for he and Hisana's first wedding anniversary.

When their eyes locked, he grinned real big and ran over to her, picking her up and spinning her around. After he set her down, he kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes upon feeling his lips brush against her skin. She always felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her when he did that.

Even though they were no more than just friends, Rukia still had the hopes that one day they would be. Of course he had a girlfriend, but she was the least of her worries. Miyako was a year older than Kaien and two years older than her. For all Rukia knew, she had jumped off the face of the earth.

Kaien never talked about her when they were together.

She was still locked in his arms when a cough interrupted their meeting. Rukia looked other right shoulder to see her brother, Byakuya Kuchiki — AKA, _lord_ of the business world — staring at them with a disapproving mask. She gulped and Kaien instantly let of her of her waist. They both put their hands in their jeans' pockets, uncomfortable with the silence Byakuya was giving them.

Finally, Kaien spoke, "Um, hey Mr. Kuchiki. Uh, I just came over to see if Rukia wanted to go get some lunch. We'll just be on the edge of town at Urahara's place."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. But before he could reply, Hisana had walked in from the kitchen, where she was sure to be helping the cooks — despite Byakuya's plead for her not to — and said, "Well, you two have fun! Byakuya and I were already planning something anyway …"

She put her hand on his forearm and it slithered down until the fingers were interlocked. By this point, he had stiffed; it was obvious of what kind of things he was planning to do when she and Kaien were gone …

"Oh, gross, Hisana," Rukia complained, sticking her tongue out. "Come on Kaien, let's go."

She grabbed his arm and headed to the door, ready to out of the house.

By the time they had reached his car, they were cracking up. "Man, Rukia," he said, his eyes lit up in amusement. "Your sister is a life-saver. I can't believe your brother-in-law would just let us go without saying something! Ha, he must really want it."

"Ew, I don't even want to think about that," she replied playfully. "Let's just get out of here before they decide to do it right there in the foyer."

"Right, agreed."

* * *

Driving along, the teens had the stereo on full power, singing to whatever song that was playing. Rukia laughed when it ended and Kaien chuckled along with her.

"So," she said conversationally. "Why did you come all the way over to just ask me to lunch? You could have called … someone would have taken me out here." She looked out the window briefly to see trees passing quickly; they weren't in the city anymore. "Where is … _here_, anyway? I thought Urahara's was at the edge of town, not the edge of the wilderness."

He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, there's been a change in plans, actually. I couldn't exactly tell your brother about this place I wanted to show you."

"A place?" she didn't feel nervous like some girls might have thought when a guy wanted to take them into the middle of the woods. "What kind of place?"

"Shhh."

He didn't say anything other than that. He had also started driving way under the speed limit and the radio was now silent. Everything was quiet. What was going on?

For a long time they drove like that — completely void of sound. The rain had stopped but the overcast looked as if it would start up again at any moment. They were on a dirt road and she couldn't see anything but trees and the cloudy sky. Finally, he stopped at small lot.

He turned off the car and they sat there in silence. "Um …" Rukia mumbled. "What are you doing, Kaien? You're not planning on raping me, are you?"

He half-smiled and shook his head slowly, still staring at the clearing hidden by darkness. "I want to show you my secret place." He finally tore his eyes away from the abyss ahead and over to Rukia. "And I would like to talk to you, if we can."

She peered. "I've got all day," she replied, suspicion in her voice.

He didn't say anything else; he got out and started to walk forward. She scrambled out of the car and after him. When she reached his side, he took her hand, something that they had always done … even though they were _just friends_.

His palm was rough and worn but so warm; it made the electricity twice as hot, boiling her blood. She looked up at his face; he was wearing a determined expression, his eyes narrowed in concentration and his mouth set in a straight line.

"Kaien … what's going on?" she asked hesitantly. All of a sudden, everything was getting a little creepy. What did he plan to do out here? What did he plan on saying? And why did they need to be in the middle of the woods? Couldn't he tell her somewhere … drier?

"I wanted to confess something," he murmured. "Oh, here we are."

_He changed the subject … _again, she thought numbly but she looked at his extended finger, pointing out into the darkness. His hand had tightened on hers.

Rolling her eyes, Rukia looked out to the abyss. And she gasped when she realized the darkness wasn't darkness at all. The sky was clearing over Karakura, hues of orange, red, pink, and even violet smeared across the sky like it had been drawn there by a knife.

Down below, a rocky cliff laid along with a small patch of green trees. The streets of Karakura became visible along with the tops of buildings, houses, and schools that were placed randomly among the town.

It was so beautiful.

"Rukia?" his voice came, deep and edgy, nervous. "Rukia, why are you crying?"

She hadn't realized that just the smallest of tears were falling from her violet eyes. She blinked them away and went to wipe the remaining ones off her cheeks but Kaien beat her to it. His rough fingers brushed away the offending liquid; her cheeks lit up on contact.

"I-it's just so beautiful," she mumbled quietly, her eyes couldn't leave his. She was drowning in his azure orbs. "I – I've never seen something like it before … where are we?"

He laughed, his palm cupping her face. "I come up here sometimes to write. It's so quiet during the day. When the animals are all out and the sun is bright on your back … it's the most perfect time. I love it." He smiled crookedly down at her and she smiled back.

"Why did you bring me up here?" she asked quietly.

"I've never taken anyone up here, not even Miyako."

Well, that surprised her to no end. Why would bring her up here and not his wonderful girlfriend? They had loved each other so much … what was so special about Rukia?

"Miyako broke up with me," he said quietly. She gasped, her eyes widening. He left go of her face and walked over to a small railing that blocked them off from the cliff below. He rested his hands on it, staring out into the sunset. "She said that, since she was going to college half way across the world, that we should 'take a break' and 'see other people.'"

He scoffed. "She just didn't want any strings attached. I don't blame her … she has so much opportunity and drive. She'll do great in her life. And … it got me thinking …"

"Wait," Rukia said quietly. "When did she break up with you?"

"Two days ago."

"Oh."

He glanced at her through his peripheral vision. She knew that her cheeks were red; his gaze was so penetrating, she felt as if he could see right through her. He was frowning slightly, his eyebrows pulled together in concentration. His hands were clutching onto the rail like a life support.

"What were you thinking about?" Rukia asked, trying to get out of the uncomfortable silence.

"I – I was, well … I was thinking about …" he blushed, something Rukia had never seen him do before. He tugged nervously at the collar of his button-up shirt. "I was thinking about us. Where _we_ stand."

"Where we stand?"

"You know … we act like … well, like we're dating, when I'm not with Miyako. I mean, we hold hands and every time I see you I just want to hug you. I mean … I just … um …"

What the hell was he confessing? Why the hell were they out here? What was going on? Was Kaien admitting that he … that he liked her? Like, liked her more than a friend? Was he admitting all the things she wanted to tell him? Did he actually … feel the same way?

"I think I'm in love with you, Rukia," he mumbled, looking at her straight in the eye. She felt herself breathing harder, almost to the point of hyperventilation.

"Y-you do?" she asked.

He nodded. "Do you?"

She smiled. "Y-yes … I've always loved you, I think. I mean … you're the only one who likes me at school and you're the only one who really believed in me. You — you helped me believe in myself. And I always admired you and now I – I think I love you too."

He grinned. Resting his hands up against her cheeks yet again, Kaien leaned down until his lips were just centimeters away from hers. "Rukia," he whispered. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. She could feel her head spinning and she looked up to him. "May I kiss you?" he asked.

She licked her lips and nodded. And then he captured his lips with hers.

— _**End Flashback**_** —**

"It was so easy to be with Kaien," she explained softly. "I mean … easy as breathing. It was like we were perfect for each other. We were both strong but could be broken easily by each other. He was my everything during that time. I didn't live for anyone but him. Not even myself."

Ichigo looked down at her eyes. They were so soft, so vulnerable, so sad, it made him want to hold on to her and never, ever let go.

"Sometimes, I feel like I've been living a dream and at any moment I'll wake up and he'll be in my room, holding me. He used to sneak in and we'd just lay there next to each other and whisper for hours. Sometimes, I wish that … t-that I could see him just one last time."

She let out a small cry. "I – I just don't understand. Why him? Ichigo …" — she looked at him straight in the eye, her violet irises full of the translucent liquid she had tried so long to avoid — "Why Kaien? Why me? I – I've never understood … I don't know _why_."

He pulled her closer.

"It's … it's just not fair! I don't know why! I loved him! And … and now he's gone. Sometimes, I feel like I'm stuck way up high in my castle. I'm looking down at the world below, locked away by the big dragon and I can't escape.

"And there's my Prince Charming, dead at the base of my castle, my prison."

— _**Flashback**_** —**

Sometimes, she would get those feelings like she was being followed. It was more than the occasional street rat, thinking that he or she remembered her from the old days.

It was like every corner someone could come out and snatch her. She looked nervously over her shoulder and, when she didn't see anything, she looked back up ahead to the bus stop … her destination. If she could just get on that bus … she'd be home free.

The feelings of paranoia usually only rose when she wasn't around Kaien. When she was in his presence, all her troubles and worries seemed to go away. He relaxed her. It was like she was breathing and everything just went away.

But, in times like these, when he was off doing something school-related like football or academics club or something, she'd walk to the bus stop alone and she felt as if she was being watched.

Sighing, she ran a hand through her raven locks and hurried to the bus stop. She was in the grimy part of town now and it was terrifying her slightly. She hated coming down here because every person who saw her uniform, the crisp, clean white color of the prestigious Seireitei Academy, would give her these creepy looks.

The bus pulled up then and Rukia boarded along with three other men, all dressed in black pants, jackets, and wearing black hats.

_Great_, she thought. _Gangsters_.

Taking a seat in the very last possible row, Rukia pulled out her math book in attempt to get some studying done. She didn't get far, however, because the three men she boarded with had other plans than just taking a bus ride.

"Okay!" one of them called, pulling a gun out of his back pocket. "Everyone, down!"

The two old women and group of school girls cried out, but sunk to the sticky floor of the bus. Rukia followed their action, her eyes impossibly wide. She peeked out from the seat to see that another one of the three had put a gun to the driver's head.

The last one was standing in between the two old woman and group of school girls. Suddenly, there was someone hovering above her. She didn't dare look up.

"Stand up," he commanded.

She did as she was told; wobbling to her feet like a toddler. Something cold and hard was pressed up against her ear. It took her awhile but she soon realized it was a gun.

At this moment, right before she was about to die, she thought that she'd see her whole life flash before her eyes. The years she had spent on the on the street, Byakuya and Hisana's wedding, going to school, but she didn't. All she was his face.

_Kaien_.

"Are you Rukia Kuchiki?" he whispered harshly into her ear.

Her breathing increased. How did he know her name? Who was he? Who were they? These men, holding innocent people hostage, just because of her? Why would they even want her? What had she done? These couldn't possibly be … old enemies, could they?

"Y-yes," she muttered, looking right past the man and out the front window. She just wanted to go home; home, something she had never called the Kuchiki Mansion. But now, now it seemed to fit.

"Do you remember me?" he pulled his mask off, revealing the blackest hair she had ever seen; darker than hers and Hisana's and even Byakuya's. His eyes were black too and, again, the darkest she had ever seen. He was smiling warmly down upon her, but it almost seemed like a sneer.

"Um … no?"

He slammed the palm of his hand into her shoulder; she shuddered upon contact. He leaned down so close that she could feel his breath in her ear. "I'm the one your sister was supposed to come to. Remember? She used to sell herself for money … I was a client. Paid her a lot of money. She never showed."

Rukia gulped.

"Wha-what does this have to do with me?" she asked, her knees shaking.

"Well, you're her sister. I'm sure she cares about her." The cold rim of the gun, pressed harder into her temple. "And if something happened to you … I'm sure she'd be really sad."

"What do you want?"

"Well, I want my money."

Money, okay, money was something she had. She could just go home, ask Byakuya for however much money he wanted and then bring it to him. Hopefully, he'd leave her family alone.

"How much?" she was getting a little braver. The gun slackened a bit.

"Well … she took nearly two grand so I'm saying about … a million," he seemed satisfied with his answer. He nodded once, and then leaned away from her, the gun slowly itching its way down her head to her ear and then to her chest. She felt her heart beat erratically.

"A – a million?!" she yelped. "Why a million?"

The gun went to her forehead.

"Okay, okay," she put her hands up in defense. "I'll bring you a million dollars? Where do you want me to take it? Do you want cash or a check? Um … paper or plastic?"

"Now's not the time to be sarcastic, girl," he sneered. "You will bring it in one week at four o' clock sharp. Come to this same bus stop … _alone_. You will bring it in your backpack; and it will be in cash. You mustn't tell any of this, girl. Not your whore of a sister. Not your high-ranking ass of a brother. And not your precious Kaien."

Rukia gasped. How had they known of Kaien? Had they been keeping tabs on her? Had they been watching her? Why was this happening?

"If you fail to show up next week, someone will be killed. And if you tell anyone, you and whoever it was will be killed. If you do bring the money, then we'll leave you alone. Until then, watch your back … Rukia Kuchiki."

— _**End Flashback**_** —**

"I didn't know what to do," she said softly. "I couldn't tell my sister and I couldn't tell Byakuya. I couldn't tell Kaien and I couldn't tell the police. I had never felt so alone before but I was just then. I was all alone, fighting to save the ones I loved."

Her violet eyes were rimmed with red. The tears had dried up but she knew they'd all be coming back soon with the next part of her horrific tale.

"To get the money, I stole if from a huge safe we had in the basement. We had only kept about a sixteenth of our money in the house, in case of emergencies. I made sure it was one of those days that Byakuya and Hisana worked late when I took it. Luckily it was the day before I was supposed to meet them."

Ichigo gasped what she had done. Not only had she been confronted with death, but she couldn't tell anyone about it; not even the guy she loved more than anything. She had stolen from her brother, a million dollars to save them all.

And she ended up here.

How the hell had that happened?

"I had been crying when I got home. Hisana tried to get me to talk — she thought Kaien had broken up with me — but I never told her. Finally, when she left my room, I called Kaien and told him everything, putting his whole life in danger."

_"Rukia, calm down. Honey, tell me what's wrong."_

"I knew it was wrong. I knew I shouldn't have done it. But I couldn't go to school the next day and lie to him. I mean, I was fine with lying to my sister to save her. But, somehow, I thought Kaien would have saved me. He was Kaien. He was supposed to make everything disappear …"

_"Don't worry, Rukia. I'll get you out safe. You'll be fine; we'll be fine. I'll save you. I promise."_

He promised.

— _**Flashback**_** —**

She was now completely alone. It was Friday, the day of the drop off. With the money in her backpack, her books in hand, Rukia headed down to the bus station.

She was _completely_ alone. No one was going to go with her and no one was going to save her. After stealing the money she realized just how horrid the situation was. She had called Kaien, dumped him, told him she hated him … and it was to save him.

He had promised that they'd pull through her situation together.

Now, she was going make sure she never hurt him or her sister or her brother-in-law, or anyone else again. She was going to save them. And she was going to make sure they would be alright.

_"Rukia, please, let me help. Tell me what's going on. Please, don't do this alone. When are you meeting them? When is it? Who are they? Rukia, _RUKIA_! Tell me!"_

_"No. I have to go, Kaien. Please, don't speak to me ever again."_

The bus sign came into her view and tears filled her eyes, despite the pact she had made to herself to be strong. Her knees started to shake and she thought she saw something move in the shadows. It must be them coming for their money.

Stepping abroad the bus, she saw that this time it was a young man driving. When she looked down the aisles, there were two men in black ski masks there … one, in which, she recognized. At least no one else was there. At least no innocent bystanders would be hurt.

The automatic doors closed with a snap behind her. She cringed and looked the man who had threatened her life and had ruined it in the process. He was staring at her with cruel eyes.

The bus started to move and Rukia stumbled. And like he had flown over there, the man — she still hadn't learned his name — had caught her and thrown her in one of the seats. Her back slammed up against it; it knocked the breath out of her.

Shallow gasps of air were the only thing to be heard besides the bus's motor. "Where …" — She sat up, her body screaming in protest — "Where are you taking me?" He pulled off his cap; the pale, hard face appeared again, just like it had a week before. He was grinning evilly but, to any other person, he looked kind, sincere.

To Rukia he was a horrible man and someone she never wanted to see again.

"Oh, nowhere in particular," he grinned as her eyes widened.

"Look," she said quickly, her voice on the edge of hysteria, "I brought your money. Just take it and leave … I'm not giving you anything else so you should just let me go and then leave. Leave my family and me and Kaien _alone_."

He moved his arms so they were embracing. She could feel his grimy hands on her lower back, teasing the top of her jeans. She felt a shudder move throughout. He leaned down, and kissed up her neck. Rukia tried to calm down her breathing because she knew it was coming out shorter and quicker than it should.

She tried to stop her heart from running out of her chest.

His lips were dry and cracked; a trail of moisture went up her neck until he reached the lobe of her ear. He then whispered, "Oh, Rukia. I have much more planned with you than just a drop-off."

He then pushed her down on the aisle of the bus and sat on her stomach, unbuttoning the blouse she was wearing; he was practically ripping the buttons from their sockets. After she knew her bra was revealed to everyone, he moved his hands on top of her.

After that, she couldn't remember. She had already blacked out.

— _**End Flashback**_** —**

Her face was angry. Ichigo could tell that much just by looking at her eyes. They were dark, the normal violet tone gone. They were rimmed with the deepest, blood-thirsty color of red he had ever seen.

"He … he _raped_ me," she cried.

But no one could hear her but Ichigo. No one could ever hear her; not when she was crying out, not when she was dying slowly in her misery.

And then tears were falling from those livid eyes. She covered her eyes with her hands and started to sob again; Ichigo had to keep from crying out in pain. He had never seen her like this before. She was so weak, now that she wasn't hiding under her cocky façade. That mask was gone now.

Now, he could see the _real_ Rukia Kuchiki.

And her pain made him want to sob just like she. He couldn't explain the feeling; he had never wanted to kill anyone outside of the two men who had brutally killed his mother.

But now, he wanted to find this man who had hurt her — the new criminal, she had said — and torture him until he begged to be let free. Then, he wanted to laugh in his face and bring Rukia to see; to make him see what he had done to her.

He had stolen her life, her youth, her innocence, her soul mate, and her virginity.

That was worse than anything he had ever gone through. What she had been through in a matter of weeks — the lying, stealing … the death threats she had gotten … breaking up with the person she loved most, telling him that she hated him … _rape_ — was worse than anything he had been put through or put himself through.

_"Ichigo … go back t-to your room. I'll … be up t-th-there in a minute. Please, just go."_

He shuddered. Rukia looked up at him in surprise and saw that he was frowning; the deepest kind of sadness etched his features. For a brief moment, her heart lifted to her heart to her throat. Did he look like this because … because he was worried about her? Cared about her?

It didn't matter.

"Go on," he murmured, looking at the wall ahead of them in determination as if his mind was made up about something. She looked to the wall as well, counting the bricks that made it up before continuing. He didn't much mind though … for those moments of silence, he couldn't think of anyone else but …

_"Mom! Mommy! No, I won't leave you! Please … let me help. Why are you bleeding?_

_"Mommy, why are you crying?"_

— _**Flashback**_** —**

It hurt.

It hurt to open her eyes, dried and wielded shut by the tears that had streamed down her cheeks. For what reason, she could not remember. When her eyes finally did open, it hurt to look up at the sky all gray and dark from rain.

It hurt to turn her head. When she finally accomplished that, she could see that she was wet before she actually felt it. So, wherever she was, she had been out here during the storm. But why was she out here? And where was … _here_, exactly?

It hurt to move. When she got herself into a sitting position, she could see that she wasn't anywhere she was supposed to be. It was a wide open space in between two buildings; like an alleyway only bigger … almost like an outdoor basketball court with garbage cans instead of goals.

It hurt to look at herself. The white uniform jacket was ripped and dirty as was her skirt. Her shirt was now in tattered shreds … the pieces lying next to her. She was missing a shoe.

It hurt to remember. In little bursts, memories flew at her, like they were punching her in the face. She remembered … Kaien and the night she had broken up with him, a bag of money she had stashed in her locker during the day so she could go to her classes inconspicuous of the kids around her, and then a bus … her legs and arms and head throbbed from the nightmare.

It hurt to know that this was reality and not just a horrible, horrible nightmare.

Suddenly, she was hyperventilating. She couldn't stop her breaths from coming in too quickly and too uneven. Her heart beat irregularly. Tears invaded her eyes and fell down her cheeks like rivers. Her toes curled in her shoes … shoe.

She screamed out in terror.

The bag of money, the bus, the plan, the pain … it was all for nothing. The man — what was his _name_? — had still gotten what he really wanted in the end. This wasn't about money … it was about revenge. And he had taken the one thing from her that she could never get back.

Something she had been saving for the man she loved most: _Kaien_.

And now it was gone. Just like the money. Just like the men. Just like the bus. Just like her sister's and bother-in-law's trust. Just like everything she had made her life out to be. Just like Kaien.

Kaien.

_Kaien_.

"K-Kaien," she chocked. Her voice was raw and raspy. It sounded like she hadn't spoken in a few weeks or like she had been … _screaming_. Screaming, that must be it. The tears fell down harder at the thought of why she could be doing such a thing.

For now, she had to push those thoughts out of her mind. For now she just had to find her way out of this basketball court-like alleyway. For now … she just had to move.

Grunting, she moved so she was on her hands and knees. It was then she heard sounds. Cars, trucks, automobiles were in front of her, beyond the darkness … into the light. She had to get to the light she could not see. She then heard the pitter-patter of rain as if fell in heaps on her, drowning the earth. She gulped, feeling it soak through her clothing. Oh well, her uniform was already ruined.

For a few minutes, she struggled to move her hands and knees so that they corresponded with each other. Many times, she fell on her face, scarping it even more. Blood trickled down her temple and down her neck like two winding snakes. For some reason, the feeling felt familiar …

She shuddered.

And then, she was in the light. As fast as the darkness came, it disappeared. She fell down, just hoping that someone would come and stop for her. Maybe they would dismiss her as a prostitute. Maybe they wouldn't even see her. Maybe —

"Rukia!"

Was that her name?

"Rukia!"

It must be … whoever it was kept repeating it. She had to … just take a glimpse … of who it was. Lifting her head, just so she could see beyond the sidewalk, she saw something white and dark at the same time. How did that happen? She thought.

Then, he — because she could smell the cologne he was wearing … something typical, like all the males she had usually come in contact with but it was different to … of course, was sweeter and lovelier than anything she had smelled in a while — fell down to his knees and started to touch her.

He was checking for broken bones.

"Rukia," he whispered in a rough; almost like she had when she had spoken … what had she said, again? She looked up and into his eyes. Once she got past the shock of how blue they were, she quickly saw that his jacket was white and his hair was dark brown.

So, that's how it happened, she confirmed her previous thought.

He looked … oddly familiar, was her next. She had seen him before, said his name before, touched him, kissed him before, loved him … even now. But who was he?

The tears came back.

"K-Kaien," she chocked. He looked up from her bruised legs, her missing shoe, her tattered skirt, her ripped shirt, her beaten arms, her swollen cheeks, and to her eyes. She could see everything when she stared into them. It was like she was drowning but it wasn't a bad thing. It was like she was being filled with an overwhelming … it filled her whole being, all the way from her feet, to her legs, to her arms, to her chest, and up to her throat.

It took a minute before she realized what it was.

_Relief_.

"Kaien," she said again, reassuring herself that he was, in fact, the man she loved more than anything. And then, without thinking of what the last man she had seen today had done to her, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with a passion she had only kept to herself.

He responded, but he was gentle. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into his chest. She could feel his heartbeat, spontaneous and uneven, just like hers. She could feel his dark hair under her fingertips. She could feel his lips touching hers.

She could feel everything good in the world at that moment. It was like the bad had never existed in the first place. Of course, she was with _Kaien_. He always made the bad disappear.

Before she knew it, they were flying down the sidewalk. She could feel his arms wrapped tightly around her back and knees. He was protecting her from everything they passed. She leaned into his chest and kissed the buttons on his shirt to keep herself occupied while he ran.

"I love you," she murmured into his neck. She nuzzled her face there, liking the warmth that it had offered after the — was it _minutes_, _hours_, _days_? — of coldness.

"I love you, too," he replied immediately and she felt herself being pulled tighter to him.

That was the last thing he would ever say.

* * *

A sharp bang had echoed off the buildings and to her ears. She could feel herself falling and then hurting yet again as she hit the ground. She looked up … had Kaien fallen? Did he trip? And where did the bang come from? What had happened?

And then … she her fingertips were wet and warm. Looking down, she saw a red liquid mixed in with the fallen drops of rain. She recognized that liquid …

It was blood.

And then she saw _him_ … he was next to her, a pool of blood surrounding his body. His white jacket was now a sick pink color, the blood was soaking into his fabric.

Frantic, she crawled over to him. "Kaien, Kaien," she sobbed, not knowing if she was crying or not. The rain and her tears were the same; she couldn't feel either one. All she could feel was anguish, pain. Actually, she didn't think there was a word terrible enough for what she was feeling.

"Kaien!" she screamed.

His eyes were closed.

The blood was running from a hole inside his head. How had that gotten there? What had happened? Not ten seconds ago she had been completely happy, kissing the buttons of his jacket. Now, those buttons were covered with blood … his blood.

It was too much. He was gone … _dead_. He wasn't coming back. The man she loved, the man she had wanted to give her whole being to one day was now gone.

He wasn't coming back.

He was gone.

_He wasn't coming back_.

And then she welcomed the blackness that had overtaken her body. Maybe, this blackness wasn't temporary. Maybe, this time, she wouldn't wake up. Maybe this pain was just too much to take. Maybe, she could lie next to her Romeo and she could Juliet, forever in death shall their love remain.

She welcomed the darkness and found herself wishing for the kiss of death to touch her lips. There was nothing living for now. Not when he was gone. Not when she had no one.

Not now.

_Not ever._

— _**End Flashback**_** —**

"The darkness hadn't taken me that day, no matter how many times I begged for it too," Rukia whispered finally after yet another pause. "When I woke up … I felt as if I was all alone."

He bowed his head to the cement on the floor. "But how?" he managed to whisper. "How did you find out Metastacia's name? How come you're here? Who killed … _Kaien_?" It was hard to say his name even though he had never known the guy. It was like he lost one of his friends.

"I woke up in the hospital," she explained. "Hisana was there, sleeping, but lying in bed next to me. I guess they brought in another one because there she was. When I stirred she had woken up and cried. She cried and cried and cried.

"I told her everything and she was the one who had muttered Metastacia's name. And then I started to cry. She told me that she would save me and we'd move far away; away from everything that had hurt us. I told her that it wouldn't matter because I was going to jail for the murder of Kaien Shiba.

"Metastacia shot him. And then he planted the gun next to me. It seemed, when I woke up, he had never actually left. He was waiting to see what I would. H-he killed Kaien … j-just because he was … there. Not b-because he knew who he was.

"Because he had helped me."

She stopped. Ichigo pulled her in tighter to his side. For some reason, he felt like he was obliged to help her, to save her. It was like some unseen force — Kaien, maybe? — was driving him to protect her from all the harm of the world … just like _he_ had up until he died.

"I deserve to be here," he whispered harshly. He could see her hands ball up into fists; her knuckles turned white. "If I hadn't told Kaien, if only I just listened to what that son of a bitch had told me … Kaien would still be alive and I would be just a rape victim. Not a rape victim and a murder."

"You're not a murderer …" he mumbled.

She didn't hear him.

"I killed Kaien Shiba. And I was raped. Everyone looked over the fact that I had been beaten and tortured and left to die … everyone who tried to put me here never realized I had been the victim from the start. They assumed I killed the one I loved the most.

"You didn't kill him …"

"And it hurts" — another tear, another raindrop in the storm — "It hurts to know that they think I actually committed such a horrific crime. But, in a way, I did. _If only_, _if only_ … that's all I have to live for now."

She looked away and pushed him away from her. She retreated to the end of the bed, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on top of her knees. He couldn't see her face.

"You're innocent but blame yourself for the person you loved most's death," he said simply. She nodded slowly.

Then, he did something she thought he never would. He chuckled lightly, awkwardly, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I guess we have something else in common, Princess." And this time she couldn't hear the mockery or the playfulness in his voice. He was completely sincere and serious.

She looked over her shoulder.

Her eyes locked with his.

"Because I'm innocent too."

* * *

**A/N: Well well well … that's chapter seven for you. XD. **

**Okay, first order of business: I've been getting a lot of reviews saying how short my chapters are. Yes, I understand that they are not as long as my chapters usually are. But, you have to understand, I didn't want this story to be only six chapters when I could stretch it out a bit and make it thirteen ( yes, this story is thirteen chapters. ) ****I get it, I really do. And I'm trying my best \points to chapter above\ to make them longer. I just wanted to stick with this story longer. So, I know and I'm working on it.**

**Second order of business, _this is a shameless plug for my and carrietheninja's story_, "All You Wanted." Please please please, give it a chance! It's about Renji and her character, Ellie, ( featured in her story, "The College Experience" and my stories, "Love:dot:COM" and "When You're Gone" ). Please, check it out!! :)))**

**That's just about it. \hands readers knives and pitchforks\. Now you may torture me as you will from the angst of this chapter. Have fun.**

**Oh! And reviewwww pleaaaase! ;)**


	8. Haze

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_**Previously**_** …**

"_You're innocent but you blame yourself for the one you love's death," he said simply. She nodded slowly._

_Then, he did something she thought he never would. He chuckled lightly, awkwardly, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I guess we have something else in common, Princess." And this time she couldn't hear the mockery or the playfulness in his voice. He was completely sincere and serious._

_She looked over her shoulder._

_Her eyes locked with his._

_"Because I'm innocent too."_

* * *

Rukia head whipped around so fast it took a second for the room to stop spinning. She rested her palm on her forehead, massaging her temples slightly before looking at him in the eye. "What do you mean," she asked quietly. "What do you mean, you're innocent?"

"Well, there's not much more to tell than just that," he smirked at his own joke.

Rukia didn't think it was very funny. "I've heard about you though," she protested. "You were the nine-year-old monster who ripped his mother's bodies to shreds, torturing her until she di —"

"Stop!" Ichigo held his head in his hands, trying to block out the memories he had been avoiding for nine years. Ribbons of blood across the white tile of his home, the men in the black suits and masks, his hands painted with red. All the memories of that night seemed to blur together, one thing right after another.

Unlike Rukia, he couldn't remember that horrid night too well. He remembered what happened of course — he had just been so young and so innocent some of it hadn't made sense so he hadn't really paid attention; now, he could hardly remembered those parts.

The rain, blood, two men, and his mother's cold body were the only things he could remember so descriptively. They were the only memories he could remember like they had happened the day before. He could still feel the warm blood and the horror of his mother falling to the floor.

"What?" Rukia asked sharply, wiping the tears falling down her cheeks. "You said you were innocent … are you telling me you've been in here since you were ten —"

"Nine."

"Wha —? Fine. You've been in here since you were nine and you're innocent! Why the hell would you even go to jail in the first place?! You were a child! If you're innocent … who killed your mom? Why did you take the blame?"

Ichigo chuckled awkwardly again, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Geez, let me explain first and then you ask questions. 'Kay?"

Rukia nodded and turned to face him, crossing her arms across her chest. It was so strange, she thought. That out of all people she would have to room with, she'd have to be stuck with a guy she formally hated which soon turned into a friendship, and now they had both learned that the other was innocent.

What were the chances of that ever happening to some else? _Not likely_, she thought bitterly. Everyone else in the world would definitely speak up if they were innocent. Ichigo and I … we just — we felt so guilty, we thought that we must be guilty.

She smiled sadly. _What idiots we were … are_. She looked into Ichigo's eyes and watched as the glassed over; he was going back to that time, that fairytale place when everything that had been perfect all the way up till it crumbled to pieces. Rukia knew, she had felt the same exact way.

"Well, here I go …"

— _**Flashback**_** —**

"Mom, I'm home!" eight-year-old Ichigo sang proudly as he walked into the door. He was greeted with the familiar atmosphere of his home: the bright blue walls and white furniture along with the big TV and the smell of cookies coming from the kitchen.

His mother appeared in the kitchen's doorway, wiping her hands on the apron she never seemed to take off. Her long, strawberry-blonde hair Then, with a proud smile and tears in her eyes, she ran forward, pulling her son into a tight hug. "Oh, my brave Ichigo," she whispered, pride laced in her voice. "I'm so proud of you! How was your first day at school?"

She pulled back, keeping her hands planted firmly on his shoulders. Their eyes locked and Ichigo smiled really big. "It was great, Mom! I my desk right next to Tatsuki's!"

"That's wonderful, Ichigo," she replied, smiling softly. Then, "Are you hungry?"

"Yep!"

His mother laughed; it sounded like wind chimes. "Then, come on! Let's go eat some chocolate cookies! You wouldn't want Karin and Yuzu to eat them all, would you?!"

"No way!" Ichigo yelled and took off toward the kitchen, a grin stretched out over his face. "Come on, Mom!" he called back to her. "Don't you want some too?!" Masaki Kurosaki laughed at her son's eagerness and walked off after him.

— _**End**__**Flashback**_** —**

"My mom was the best," Ichigo announced a little smugly. "She was the kind of mom who'd bring cookies for all the kids in my class no good reason than just she wanted to. She was always helping people. She cared about the patients in my dad's clinic like they were family.

"All I wanted to do was protect her from everything. She had meant so much to me … I never ever wanted to go a day without my mom."

Rukia looked over her shoulder to her cellmate. So this was the real Ichigo. This was the real man she had once hated, once called worse than herself. She could tell just by how he spoke of her — Masaki Kurosaki — that he would do anything to harm her.

His mother had been his everything; just like Kaien had been hers.

And now … now they had lost everything.

It didn't seem fair; not to Rukia. She had already experienced more in her short seventeen years than any average human being. Poor Ichigo had bypassed childhood when he saw his own mother being murdered — and then taken the blame for it.

Never before had either one of them told the truth because, to them, they had been the ones guilty. Rukia had been in Kaien's arms when he was murdered while Ichigo watched his own mother being killed. Neither one of them could do anything about it.

It seemed, almost, that it would be their destinies were meant to intertwine. Out of all the people in this jail, rotting away and guilty, they were the two who weren't. They were the two who had suffered the most 

because they had not only been living here — in a place they shouldn't be — but they were living that lie like it was the truth.

Could they even remember the whole truth and nothing but the truth? It was almost as if the lines of their past had been blurred with a fallen cup of water. It ran across their memories, changing them just slightly to fit the lie they had composed for their existences.

In just a few moments, Rukia felt like her whole life had changed. After all, she had told someone her deepest secret, love, and regret: the story of Kaien Shiba. And now, Ichigo was telling his. She trusted him and he trusted her enough to tell their pasts.

Never before had she told Kaien about growing up on the streets. Sure, she had mentioned a couple of times, but she had never told him any stories. He didn't push her either; he probably thought that she'd tell him over time. But she wouldn't have. She had been so afraid that he'd leave her when he found out all the things that had happened to her … all the fights, stolen food, and prostitution — on her sister's part — would drive him away.

Now, she had told Ichigo everything.

Did that mean she trusted him more than Kaien? Did that mean that she trusted him enough to put her hand in his and know that he'd protect her … and not die? Did that mean … that she was _in love_ with him?

Did she love Ichigo Kurosaki?

Rukia didn't have any time to contemplate the idea for he had already started talking again, the same glazed look in his eyes as she had, when falling back into the past …

— _**Flashback**_** —**

"_AHHH_!" a scream echoed throughout the house. He turned over, covering his ears with his pillow as tears streamed down his face. He cried out again, kicking his blanket off of his shivering form.

Sweat trickled down his forehead and neck and his skin was burning hot. He could still feel the same spiders crawling up his leg … they wouldn't come off. He tried to kick them, but why weren't they coming off? What did they want with him?!

The door burst open like a gun firing off and he was pulled up into a tight hug. Someone was whispering into his ear; it must of have been a ghost … or an angel. She had just died from the same thing coming after him … there was no way she'd still be here.

"Shhh, Ichigo, open your eyes," the angel's voice whispered calmly. She still sounded the same way he had remembered. Even though the hole in his chest burned from agony, he thought maybe just one peek wouldn't hurt so much. He just had to remember it was an angel, and not the real thing. "Come on baby, open your eyes, it was a nightmare … a nightmare."

That would be something she'd say too. Even in death, she'd still be the one comforting him. She would still be his hero, his heart, his everything … even though she was just an angel.

He cracked open a single eye, straining to see past the blurriness and the strawberry-blonde hair that smelled just as it always had; like vanilla and cookies. Finally, his eyes fell upon her face, so kind, so gentle … just like it had always been.

"M-mommy?" his voice sounded like he hadn't spoken for days; it was hoarse and cracked every few syllables.

"Ichigo." The grip around his shoulder tightened and he was pulled into the crook of her neck. She kissed the top of his head as tears fell down her face. Were angels supposed to cry? He thought. He had never seen his mother cry … could it be she wasn't an angel?

No … she couldn't be anything less than an angel. Maybe she just hadn't gone to heaven yet to get her wings. Or maybe she was just really sad.

Someone hovered over him and he could see that it was his father. Could he be an angel too? He hadn't seen his dad be killed by the bugs … maybe he was still alive …? Could he see that Mom was an angel? Could he see her at all?

"Daddy?" he questioned, his curiosity overcoming his croaky voice. "Can you see her?"

"See who, Ichi?" his father asked, his voice thick … like he had been crying. But why would Dad cry? He was supposed to be strong and brave and manly and tough — he wasn't supposed to cry. Was it because he had come back from Mom's funeral?

But, couldn't he see? She was right here!

"Mommy, look. Can't you see her? She's an angel!" He heard the angel sob and grip onto him like a life supporter. Maybe she had to go back to heaven and she didn't want to go. Maybe she wanted to stay a ghost on earth forever …

He felt his chin being pulled up so he was looking at his mother face-to-face. Her face was sad as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her eyes were red and her cheeks shiny, like she had been swimming. Her hair was matted and pulled back into lop-sided ponytail.

She still looked just like _Mom_ though.

And that was enough for any heartache Ichigo would suffer after she left. As long as he could remember her face, he'd be okay.

"Honey," her lips curved around the words as if tasting them. "Ichigo, I'm not an angel. I'm alive; it was just a nightmare. You were sleeping, and you had a bad dream. I didn't go anywhere."

And then reality hit him like a train. Tears overwhelmed his eyes and they fell down like a rainstorm. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. She hugged back immediately and so did his father; their arms were like shields around him. He felt so safe from the spiders …

But they had never been there to begin with.

They had been just a bad dream. His mother was still alive and with him. She was still safe; he still had protected her from everything there was in the world. She was still here while he was awake. Maybe, if he'd never go back to sleep … she would stay here forever.

— _**End**__**Flashback**_** —**

"Sometimes, I'll lay awake and just think about her," he said quietly. "I guess I still think that if I just stay awake a little longer, she'd still be alive and my whole life was just a horrible nightmare. I guess I'm still stuck on the past to realize that I'll never wake up."

He looked over to her and he could see the sincerity burning in his amber irises. "Of course, it's not so bad anymore. It's a little bearable; I guess all I needed was a friend."

He was trying not to sound cheesy, Rukia figured. And he wasn't doing a very good job.

"I guess sometimes when I dream, it's not such a bad thing." He leaned back, closing his eyes. "I mean … when I was nine, I would wake up screaming my head off because of that night. Now though, I sometimes dream of her baking cookies or taking me and my sisters to the beach."

His eyes became slits and he glanced at her. She was facing him now — still nowhere near him — her arms wrapped her knees, pulling herself together. "I see now," she said suddenly, quietly. "You did the same exact thing I did, didn't you?"

He smirked sadly.

"Yeah, I guess so." He paused. "It's hard. Going through each day without her helping me. Even now, when I'm numb to this god-forsaken place. Sometimes, I wonder if I even made the right choice, lying to get in here. Sometimes, I – I really want to leave."

He frowned.

Rukia raised her head.

"But I can't. Because I'm the reason she's dead."

— _**Flashback**_** —**

Nine-year-old Ichigo's eyes fluttered open while the moonlight still spilled on across his bed. That had always annoyed him; in the movies, when the characters had gone asleep with the moonlight on their faces, wasn't as comfortable as the movie directors make it out to be.

It was actually quite irritating.

But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Instead, he focused on the slight ruckus he heard from the floor before. Was that his mom and dad? What time was it? … 3:40 in morning by the digital clock. What were they still up at this hour?

Yawning, he stretched and blinked a few times, trying to get the eye boogers out. Then, he threw his train covers — the bed set he'd had since he was four — and shuffled to the door.

Still rubbing his eyes, he adjusted his Batman pajamas. These were his favorites; Mom said he could wear them tonight because his birthday was just a few days away. She was always doing stuff like that; she'd sometimes even wake him up at midnight to eat chocolate cookies with milk or let him stay up past his bedtime on weekends.

But she wasn't planning on waking him up tonight, he knew that much. There was a muffled yell from the bottom of the steps. Clutching the rail, he went down, taking one step at a time. Whoever it was … it wasn't his father.

_Crash_!

Ichigo jumped but didn't cry out like someone had.

Who was that? She sounded familiar …

Taking to more steps, he reached the entrance to the kitchen. Peering around the corner he saw his mother on the ground, blood coming from her forehead and a broken vase by her shoulder. He was about to run out to help her, — was that the crashing noise he'd heard? — before he saw … _them_.

"Tell us, bitch," one of them spat.

Ichigo backed up, stepping up once on the stairs. He couldn't see the men but he heard them calling his mother foul names. He knew that he should have gotten his father but he just … _couldn't_. He couldn't will his legs to move for they were shaking too hard.

"N-no …" his mother managed to say.

"I said now!" He heard a crack and his mother cried out in pain. Ichigo felt tears well up in his eyes and fall silently down his cheeks. He clutched his torso; he felt like someone was clawing his heart out by their fingernails. It hurt so much.

What was going on? Why was this happening? What had his mother done? Why … _why_?

"Y-you don't need the … d-drugs …" his mother replied calmly, just like she always did. "P-please. I can … help you." She stopped to cough; Ichigo's tears ran with no avail. "I – I can send you … to a center. Something. Please, just … just _stop_."

Her voice was thick, like she was crying. It was just like the dream he'd had only a few weeks ago when his mother died. Maybe that was what this was! Maybe it was just a bad dream, a nightmare. Maybe he could wake up from this …

"GIVE US THE DRUGS! Or _we will_ kill you!" one of them yelled.

Surely someone would have heard that! Ichigo thought desperately. Maybe his father or at least one of his little sisters who'd then go wake his father … Maybe a neighbor did. Someone. Someone.

Someone had to save them.

Sobs were escaping his throat. He was so scared. No, more like terrified. Or horrified. Petrified. Actually, nothing could describe the fear he felt right then. His blood was pumping faster, his heart rate exceeding the norm, adrenaline ran through his veins; his head hurt, along with his chest, and his legs felt like jello. He felt sick to his stomach … like he was going to puke.

"Who's there?!" one of the men yelled, coming closer to the stairwell.

_Move_ … _move_ … _move_!

But his legs wouldn't budge. He stood where he was, his knees knocking together, his head shaking from fear, and arms wrapped around his center. He stared at a piece of lent on the carpet, afraid to meet the man's eyes when he came for him.

He felt something wet run down his leg and it stained the white carpet. It was only then when he saw that the liquid was yellow, he realized he had peed his pants.

_Stupid_! He thought in rage_. You haven't done that since you were four! Stop it! Be strong! For Mom! Pl-please, be strong for M_ —

Two rough hands grabbed the collar of his batman pajamas. He was pulled up and his eyes tore away from the piece of lent to the cold eyes of one of the men. They were black with a rim of red … they were bloodthirsty. _High_.

Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut and blackness appeared around him. All he could see were little flashes of white; squares and circles came and went but Ichigo never opened his eyes. It was too scary. Too risky.

He felt the hands leave his shirt and then he felt the ground come in contact with his side. Hard. A sickening crack moved throughout his whole body and he cried out in pain, his eyes opening in shock.

His arm. It hurt. It hurt so much.

"Ichigo!" he heard his mother yelp. She half-dragged, half-crawled to his side and pulled him in protectively to her chest. He felt the tears return and he cried into her neck. "You're okay, baby … you're going to be okay. Ichigo …"

There was another kick and Ichigo suddenly felt very cold. His eyes refocused to his mother's limp form a little ways away from him. He saw a body hovering over him.

_Click_-click.

Ichigo froze. His mother, who was trying to get back to him, blood falling from her temple, arms, legs, and stomach, stopped her motion.

He felt a cold barrel up against his ear. He whimpered, his eyes locking with his mother's. Tears fell down her cheeks and chin; she made no motion to wipe them away. "… _What do you want_?" she whispered, her eyes never leaving her son's.

"I want the drugs … and I want them _now_," the same man sneered. He pushed the gun farther into Ichigo's head.

"Okay," she said quietly. "Just please … put the gun down or let at least walk with me. Please." Her eyes flickered away from Ichigo's for a second. He could see her pleading with the man … begging him.

"Fine."

In a matter of moments, they were on their way to the clinic next door. The man — who seemed to be the boss, because he was the one doing all of the talking — held Ichigo's arm and dragged him along the yard to the other building.

Ichigo looked up at the moon shining across the yard, thinking that it already seemed like ages ago when he had been annoyed to wake up to it.

Everything was different now.

The clinic smelled just like it always had: clean and fresh. His mother led them all to a room in the back and, after unlocking the door with a key left in his father's doctor coat, she opened it.

The men hurried inside, grabbing whatever they wanted — even breaking things! — while his mom moved protectively to his side and whispered things like, "everything is going to be okay" and "I'm so proud of you" in his ear. Then the two men were back just as quick as they came.

Leading them back to the house, the barrel back on Ichigo's head, he felt a sense of relief.

They had gotten what they wanted.

Now they could leave with whatever they'd taken. Everything would be back to normal. Sure, a couple nightmares were bound to happen, but still … as long as everyone was okay from these men, nightmares seemed like nothing.

Reaching the white carpet of his home, he and his mom were roughly thrown to the ground. He looked up, dazed. What did they want now?

Then, with a crack … everything went black.

* * *

When Ichigo finally came around, he felt like he had just come back from a parallel world. Blinking, he looked up to the ceiling and sighed loudly. Just the smallest bit of moonlight was still left there, stretching across as far as it could.

So, it _had_ been just a horrible nightmare.

That had been the worst one yet. The crying, the pain, the ribbons of blood all seemed so real; he was even sore now, his arm throbbing again now that he thought about it. And those men … who were they? He rolled over, uncomfortable with how his back felt. Blinking again, he rubbed his eyes and his eyes narrowed onto something shiny … and red.

Confusion swept over him as he sat up. Looking around, he saw that he wasn't in his room. Well that was strange. He hadn't sleep-walked since he was really little. But here he was, the happy photos of his family and bright blue walls staring back at him.

He looked down.

And screamed.

There, lying in shreds … was his mother. Her long strawberry hair was covering her face and part of her back. Her clothes — the white nightgown she'd been wearing — was now a reddish color. And the shiny-red thing was a knife … and he was holding it.

He looked at his mother and then back down at himself. His Batman pajamas were also covered with blood and there was the faintest thing was carved into his ruined, and now haunted, pajamas.

_Here is your mother … just as she deserves. Tell no one of this or we will kill your father too. Thank you for your for you cooperation. — Grand Fisher_

— _**End**__**Flashback**_** —**

She was at his side the instant he stopped talking. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into her. He was surprised by her bold move but moved his own arms around her waist. For a moment, they stayed in that position, the only sound was the rain coming from the outdoors.

All the barriers that they had built between themselves and the surrounding world were gone now. The image they had gained over the years had dissolved away. The lies they had told to protect their greatest enemies were stripped away, leaving them heartbroken and vulnerable.

"It rained the night after Kaien died," Rukia whispered into the white fabric of Ichigo's undershirt. "I was in the hospital still, recovering from major trauma to my head. I listened to it part of the night while watching my sister sleep." She paused. "I – I remember thinking about everything that had happened to me.

"All the pain I had been through. Everyone I hurt. It was too much for me to handle. I was only fifteen after all … I was supposed to be going to the movies or school dances.

"I wasn't supposed to be raped. I wasn't supposed to have lost the man I loved most. I wasn't supposed to be contemplating on whether or not I'd tell the truth or not. After all, if I hadn't told Kaien what was going on … he'd still be alive."

She pulled back and stared Ichigo straight in the eyes. "It was raining outside when I made the most important decision in my life. I blamed myself for Kaien Shiba's death. Now, two years later, I'm here again telling you everything that had happened to me."

She fell silent and searched his eyes for something. She could see resolve and heartbreak; she could see the world being lifted off of his shoulders as he poured his heart out to her.

"It rained all throughout my trial," he replied in a quiet voice. "Every single day for two months it rained at one point or another. It was like the clouds were sad for my mom and my broken family.

"I thought maybe it was sad for me too, until the day I was supposed to find out whether or not I'd be going to jail or back home. That day, it was bright and sunny outside, total irony for my situation." His voice broke off with a bitter chuckle.

Rukia's irises were reflected into his eyes and he saw the understanding and compassion that resided there. She truly did care about him, he finally realized. She cared about what happened to him and how his life would turn out.

She wanted to see him leave this place just as much as his father did … as he did.

"Rukia," he whispered. She rose an eyebrow. He continued. "My story definitely isn't as scary or as horrid or as bad as yours." Confusion flickered in her eyes. "But I'm here for the same exact reason you are … I'm here because I blame myself for a crime that I did not commit.

"I know how it feels to lose the person you love most," he concluded. "You are not alone in this. You don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here for you now. There's no way that bastard Metastacia I never going to get to you. Not if I can help it."

Sincerity burned his eyes.

Rukia looked away, feeling her throat clog from all the things he was telling her. Here he was, just a boy who had grown up with men twice his age and ten times his violence, and he was telling her that he'd protect her.

He had lost his mother! And yet, he put his safety and his lies and his secrets aside to protect her. Her cheeks burned from how loved she felt, not matter how cheesy it may have sounded. She felt her chest swell from happiness and … and a _hope_ she hadn't felt since Kaien's death.

"And I'll protect you," she whispered back, catching his eye again.

He laughed. "And why would you need to do that?"

Rukia smirked and kissed him on the cheek. He immediately stopped laughing, his eyes widening slightly from the feel of her soft lips against his two-day stubble. "Well, incase Abarai — or anyone else for that matter — assumes something other than hitting and fighting is going on here, I'll be there to kick their asses."

They both smiled at each other.

Then, Ichigo unlocked his arms from around Rukia's waist and she already missed the warmth he'd provided. He was already starting to sit down on his patch of dirt he called his bed when she spoke again.

"Hey, Ichigo …" she murmured feeling a blush color her porcelain cheeks. He looked up to her. "If you want … you can sleep up here with me tonight. It'll probably be a lot more comfortable and …"

He was grinning.

Climbing up next to her, they laid down simultaneously and he wrapped an arm around her middle, bringing her in close to him. He wasn't completely sure why he did it; he just told himself that he didn't want her to get scared for the remainder of the night. He closed his eyes, perfectly content sleeping next to Rukia.

Rukia smiled and closed her eyes as well.

_And_, she added on silently. _Sometimes, I have nightmares when it rains. I want to feel protected so I can actually get some sleep tonight_.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I know, I know, it's been forever and a half since I've update and that Ichigo's story is MUCH shorter than Rukia's. School just started last week — I had tons of construction on my school, so we started late — and I've been very busy with band and newspaper. That and there wasn't a lot to do with Ichigo's story. Like, his mother was murdered …** **there really wasn't a huge story plotline to tell beyond that like there was for Rukai. Again, I'm not sure how fast updates will come seeing that I have two stories for the paper and an article for church along with competitions and football games I'm performing at, but I will do my best. :)**

**Oh, and, if some of my readers who don't have me on their author alert lists, I upload a **_**Twilight**_** story last week. It's my second story but I'm actually continuing with this one ( shock, shock! ). Again, updates are slow, but I'm **_**so**_** excited about it. ****It's kinda scary going into a whole new fandom — and a HUGE fandom at that — so please, go check it out! Warning: there are HUGE **_**Breaking Dawn**_** spoilers. ;).**

**Random, shameless plug for "All You Wanted"! It's on carrietheninja's profile; please, go read it if you like Ellie and Renji!**

**Alright, that's it! Please review and have an amazing week, everyone! :))**


	9. Fall for You

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_**Previously**_** …**

_Climbing up next to her, they laid down simultaneously and he wrapped an arm around her middle, bringing her in close to him. He wasn't completely sure why he did it; he just told himself that he didn't want her to get scared for the remainder of the night. He closed his eyes, perfectly content sleeping next to Rukia._

_Rukia smiled and closed her eyes as well._

And_, she added on silently. _Sometimes, I have nightmares when it rains. I want to feel protected so I can actually get some sleep tonight_._

* * *

The next morning, it rained again. With sleep crusting their eyes and the dull throbbing of pain coating their hearts, Ichigo and Rukia got up without speaking. At the same time he always came, the guard at their door let them out for their morning chores.

Walking in silence, they soon went their separate ways … Ichigo the courtyard for breakfast and kitchen duty while Rukia was loaded into a grey van — along with five or so other women prisoners — to go the park for cleanup.

With confessing of truth, Ichigo decided while scrubbing the bowls coated with sticky oatmeal. You would think that there'd be a sign or something … _something_, that would make you feel like, though tons of bad stuff has happened, something good'll happen as well.

Of course, that never seemed to happen for him. Sighing, he stacked the last of the dishes and then headed out to the courtyard for his recreational time.

Up above, the clouds were swollen with rain — it looked as if it was fall at any moment. Thunder rumbled in the distance and there was a flash of lightening way out west, but it was coming this way quick.

That didn't stop his fellow prison mates from their games though. Renji and his pals were playing basketball again ignoring the 'no rough-housing rules' the referees usually made sure to announce. There were a few women gossiping at the corners of the wide open courtyard. Everyone else was either playing with cards or reading poorly kept books they had received for good behavior or family.

Sighing for what seemed to be the billionth time that day, he flopped on a nearby table and rose his hand up — _prison talk_ meaning, "I'd like to play." The dealer nodded and started and passed him thirteen cards.

For a while, he and the three other convicts — all of which he did not recognize — played cards in silence. Then, as he was about ready to finally win, the intercom crackled to life and the peppy voice of Yachiru washed over the courtyard.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," she said sweetly. "Please come to Warden Kenny's office right away. He needs you for some reason … I'm not sure why though. Oh! Hey Kenny! What's …!"

And then the message ended.

Again, with the sighing, he thought bitterly as he stood up and walked to the building. Walking quickly among the hallways he had memorized, much like a child would memorize his own household, he ended up in front of Kenpachi's office in no time.

Yachiru had already waved to him in the reception area, giving him a big hug and a "Hi, Strawberry!" before he walked in here. Despite that he thought she was probably the most annoying creature on the planet, he still appreciated her randomness to help him calm down.

Over the years, Kenpachi had almost been a second father to Ichigo. When he was nine and scared, the Warden had comforted him … even letting him sleep in his office if he had bad dreams. Though he was a big burly man with no compassion, he sure did love kids.

However, as Ichigo got older, Kenpachi become stricter, yelling at Ichigo when he got into a fight or said something that was out of line to one of the guards. He was a strict dad, and yet, he was still … a dad.

Knocking, he heard a loud "Come in!" and then went inside. As usual, files were falling out of cabinets, pictures were tilted yet covering all of one wall. The big windows behind Kenpachi's desk were wide open, showing the parking lot and highway down below.

How he wished to be on that damn highway!

Kenpachi wasn't in his office, so Ichigo sat down on one of the two chairs facing the windows. Twiddling his thumbs, his mind was brought back to Rukia and her past.

The night before, he'd had a nightmare about her screwed up life. He could picture her through Kaien's eyes — he could see how beautiful she was yet so cold and hidden. He could feel a puffiness in his chest made it hard to breathe; it felt like love. When she kissed him on that Cliffside, he could feel her soft lips and how nervous and happy she felt.

He fell in love with her that dream.

And then, at the end … he died, leaving her all alone.

Towards the end of the dream, he had watched her from high above the ground. He saw her struggling to stay alive despite his absence. He could see the guilt in her eyes as she told her sister she was going to confess to his murder. He could feel the love in her heart … even through the months of trial and then, finally, jail. In that dream … Ichigo, as Ichigo, fell in love with her. He had seen how she looked at him from the corner of her eye and the blush that had stained her cheeks when he pulled her closer and closer. He could see just a small bit of that girl Kaien had fallen in love with.

And the broken, wrecked girl he left.

He could see his beautiful, blushing, loving Rukia gone, replaced by a cold, heartless, painful Rukia who never allowed anyone to take her side and love her. And then, shockingly enough, he saw the night before flash through his mind — only in Kaien's point of view.

As Kaien, Ichigo could feel relief course through his veins as Rukia told the truth. He could feel the love that radiated in her voice … the shrill of happiness that resided there for only a short time.

And, finally, he could see her smile as she fell asleep, his arms wrapped around her.

* * *

As soon as the van pulled up to the park, it started to rain. Groaning at the irony, Rukia pulled her hood tighter around her face and jumped out, quickly examining the park for trash.

When she had first moved in with Ichigo, this was her favorite day of the week. She didn't have to hear his insults towards her or sit next to him at lunch. She could sit by the big oak tree she loved and get lost in her thoughts of the better years of her life — the years she spent with Kaien.

Now though, as time progressed and they became closer, she slowly started to hate the days she didn't hear his insults or get to sit by him at lunch. She missed his protective stance when the other girls would pass and gossip about Rukia … the psychotic girl who killed her own boyfriend.

Ichigo was everything to her … just like what Kaien was before he died. He was her sun and her moon … her night and her day. He was all she thought about — aside from the usual 'I'm hungry' or 'Man, I really have to pee.'

He was kind and smart … witty and defending. He called her Princess — first an insult and now a form of friendship, their bond as partners in the world. He was honest with her … he had shared his whole past with her! And she trusted him more than she'd trusted anyone because she had told him her story.

He was so much like Kaien, yet he was completely different.

Kaien had been the first guy she'd ever loved. For her, it was like being high every time she just saw him. He would make her feel like she was ten feet off the ground, floating around in space just because he was … _him_.

Ichigo on the other hand, brought her back down to earth … showing her that nothing was right with the world, yet holding her hand all the way. She fought with him like she'd never fought with anyone. She teased him as he teased her. They hated each other …

Yet she loved him more than anything.

Walking over to her favorite oak tree, Rukia picked up the bottles, cans, and plastic that surrounded it like a fort. Then, sitting down, she felt the harsh wind blow across her cheeks.

Tears slipped down without her acknowledgement.

She felt unbelievable happiness with the truth — the fact that she loved Ichigo more than anything in the world as of this moment. And yet, she as terrified she would lose him soon. There was a change in the air — as corny as that may have sounded — and he was going to leave her all alone with her reeking past.

"Kuchiki!" yelled one of the guards.

Opening her eyes, she wiped her tears away and got up, continuing on with her duties. Externally, she was cold and ready to go back home … to her prison cell, with _him_. Internally, she was warm and ready to take on the world — with _him_ holding her hand the entire time.

* * *

"Kurosaki, good to see you yet again," grumbled Kenpachi as he sat down next to Ichigo. He was ruffling some papers while he placed his feet atop his desk.

"You too, sir," Ichigo replied weakly. Twiddling his thumbs he asked, "Why is it you wanted me in here, anyway? I don't believe I've done anything more to upset anyone in the past few weeks …"

Kenpachi smirked and then chuckled lightly. "And I like that," he said. "You need to stay out of trouble … only God knows what'll happen to you when you meet someone you can't beat in a fist fight. But, that's not exactly the reason I called you here." He paused and Ichigo rose an eyebrow in confusion. "Did you ever talk to Kuchiki? I noticed she went to work today."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I talked to her. I think she feels better."

The Warden nodded once and then asked, "What was her problem, anyway?"

"I – I can't tell you, sir … it's a secret. I'm afraid, if you want to know, you'll have to ask her." Kenpachi continued to nod but never really met Ichigo's eye. He was staring at the door and his eyes were glassed over, as if he was thinking of other things.

Before Ichigo had a chance to ask, there was another knock at the door. He turned his head as Kenpachi yelled, "Come in!" Then, someone so familiar yet a complete stranger walked inside …

"Dad …" Ichigo mumbled.

Indeed, a man in his late forties walked slowly into the room, shutting the door behind him. His dark eyes were now some shade of gray and they were so … cold and tired. They were bright with excitement or joy of life … he looked so different.

His once deep midnight hair was now streaked with just a hint of gray. He had lost weight since the last time Ichigo saw him — and that was about a year ago … it was probably lack of food. Isshin often would tell Ichigo that he had to skip a couple meals a day with trying to solve his case for him and all.

Then, he'd chuckle and Ichigo would smirk sadly.

But, this time, his father couldn't even pull the corners of his mouth upward. He looked so drained, so old … so completely different from when Ichigo was a child. Had he caused the change in his father? Was the reason why Isshin looked like he could die in just a few days from lack of … life … his fault?

_Well, of course_, his devil-side, as he so dubbed it, whispered bitterly. _Everything is your fault. First you killed you mother and now your father. You're just a rotten, good-for-nothing murderer_.

Ichigo shook off the thoughts and crossed his arms as his father sat next to him. They both looked over to Kenpachi who was chuckling softly. "Not exactly the most romantic reunion I've seen," he commented dryly.

Isshin laughed without any emotion and then pulled a briefcase out on his lap. He pulled out two manila folders and ruffled through one of them. Then, he threw a picture down on the desk.

Ichigo felt sick. It was a photograph of his mother … before the murder along with one of Ichigo when he was nearly nine years old. Then, his father pulled out a second one and — to his son's horror — one with his mother post-mortem.

And then, out of the second file he pulled out another photograph of a woman he didn't recognize but she was beautiful with strawberry-blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes along with one of a little boy that looked exactly like her. There was a third picture and Ichigo could clearly see it was much like his own mother's death … only it was not a picture of his mother.

"It seems that whoever killed my wife also killed this woman. The style of killing with her body torn to shreds post-mortem after being shot once point-blank in the chest is exactly identical. The family she's left behind, everything … is exactly like what happened to my wife."

Ichigo had been through a lot in his life. He'd been trialed and then convicted for the brutal, horrific murder of his own mother … and he was only nine. He had been nearly killed hundreds of times in jail and he'd nearly killed someone — for real — over a thousand. He'd lost everything, and, with his Princess, he'd gained everything.

And now, after all this time, his father had finally found proof of his innocence. Finally, after all the determination without any result … he'd been on the edge of his rope, holding on to that last bit of hope, and he'd done it. His father had proved his innocence.

Ichigo was free.

_Think rationally_, he said to himself. _This might not prove anything. Don't get your hopes up_. But he couldn't help the feeling like a balloon was being enflated in his chest. For once, in nine years, he felt hope, happy … freedom. He could actually taste it.

And suddenly, the parking lot below didn't seem like some other world. It was so close, Ichigo could almost feel the pavement under his feet.

* * *

He wasn't at lunch today.

The van had come back early from their "all day" cleaning job and made it just in time for lunch. Rukia, hoping to see Ichigo and sit with him, gripped her tray tighter when she saw he wasn't by their normal trash can.

Scanning the area, she felt tears clog her throat when she realized he wasn't there. Worry etched her features. Where was he? What happened to him? Did something happen to him? Why wasn't he here? He should be here!

"He was called to the Warden's office earlier," whispered a gruff voice. Jumping, she spun on her heal to see a very tall — taller than Ichigo! — man looking down upon her with an amused expression. His crimson locks were pulled up into a ponytail and clashes very badly with his orange jumpsuit.

So, this was the Renji Abarai who called her Ichigo's girlfriend months ago. This was the man she threatened to kill when she found out about him.

"Thanks," she replied gruffly, not wanting to deal with him. He was useful for one thing: at least she knew Ichigo was safe … well, as safe as he was going to get in the Warden's office.

"No problem," he spoke again.

Ah, the persistence comes into play, she thought, remembering Ichigo complain about that one annoying trait on one of the many nights he was complaining about the man in general.

She moved to her table, and the man followed like a puppy dog. She sat down, he sat down beside. She picked at her food while he watched her intently. Rukia was near the end of her rope when he said, "So, you and Kurosaki done it yet?"

Then, instead of yelling at him, she slammed her tray into his face, effectively getting some of her spaghetti noodles up his nose and in his mouth.

Smirking, she got up and walked away.

* * *

"What does this all exactly mean?" Ichigo asked cautiously from his seat. For at least an hour his father and Kenpachi had been discussing random that Ichigo couldn't really comprehend.

"It means," his father said brightly and eagerly — more so than he had in a long time — "you're conviction is now questioned. Did you really kill your mother? Or was it this man? This man who is in custody and awaiting trail … Akane Aya's son as a witness."

Ichigo tried not to show any emotion.

"This means," Kenpachi took over. "You can go to court and, instead of being the one charged for murder, you can be the one putting someone away … the real guilty man. Not you, the poor innocent kid who deserved to be nowhere but at home."

It was probably the most compassionate thing Kenpachi had ever said in his lifetime. Especially to a convict, innocent or not.

"When's the trial?" Ichigo asked, feeling his throat clog with joy … something he hadn't felt in so long it almost hurt physically.

"Next week," Isshin replied, grinning.

Ichigo finally broke out into a smile. "Well, then," he said, not thinking of anything, anyone else but the ground on the other side of those chain link fences … freedom. He didn't think of Rukia and how he'd be breaking the promise he'd just given the day before. He wasn't thinking of his father or his sister.

All he could hear was freedom.

And the man responsible finally going away. _Forever_.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for spelling errors, I did not check for them. I needed to get this update out as soon as possible. And, yet again, I'm so very sorry for the long wait. I've finally gotten time to write!**

**Deadline for Newspaper was today. I'm kinda nervous about what the editors will think but hey, I'll just correct it. :). And, the marching band took first last Saturday! It was amazing! Other than that, I hate math. It needs to die.**

**Please review! See ya! :)**


	10. Freedom Brings

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_**Previously …**_

"_What does this all exactly mean?" Ichigo asked cautiously from his seat. For at least an hour his father and Kenpachi had been discussing random that Ichigo couldn't really comprehend._

_"It means," his father said brightly and eagerly — more so than he had in a long time — "you're conviction is now questioned. Did you really kill your mother? Or was it this man? This man who is in custody and awaiting trail … Akane Aya's son as a witness."_

_Ichigo tried not to show any emotion._

_"This means," Kenpachi took over. "You can go to court and, instead of being the one charged for murder, you can be the one putting someone away … the real guilty man. Not you, the poor innocent kid who deserved to be nowhere but at home."_

_It was probably the most compassionate thing Kenpachi had ever said in his lifetime. Especially to a convict, innocent or not._

_"When's the trial?" Ichigo asked, feeling his throat clog with joy … something he hadn't felt in so long it almost hurt physically. _

_"Next week," Isshin replied, grinning._

_Ichigo finally broke out into a smile. "Well, then," he said, not thinking of anything, anyone else but the ground on the other side of those chain link fences … freedom. He didn't think of Rukia and how he'd be breaking the promise he'd just given the day before. He wasn't thinking of his father or his sister._

_All he could hear was freedom._

_And the man responsible finally going away. Forever._

* * *

The courtroom was staring at him. He knew it. Without looking up from his hands, Daisuke answered, "They killed my mom. They came in a-and … ordered for something … and then th-they drugged us …" He couldn't do it. He couldn't face him.

Risking a glance up, Daisuke's eyes connected with those of his mother's murderer. Immediately he paled and his eyes became wide. Mr. Ukitake stepped in front of the man, blocking Daisuke's view.

"Is the man who killed your mother here, in the courtroom?"

But it was too late. The poor boy was shaking with fear and regret. Why had he said something? If he'd just kept his mouth shut, everything would have been fine. Well, his mom still wouldn't be alive but still … lots of kids didn't have moms. He could have been fine.

Now he was surely going to die.

"Daisuke," Mr. Ukitake whispered, crouching in front of him. "He can't hurt you now. Please, answer the question. Is the man who killed your mom here?"

Tears fell down Daisuke's face. "N-no," he mumbled, sadness etching his voice. Ukitake looked to the ground in defeat and then glanced back at the defendant. The man, Grand Fisher, was smirking darkly. Daisuke whimpered quietly as his locked with the ones of his mother's murderer.

"No further questions," Ukitake sighed and took his seat.

Grand Fisher's attorney, Mr. Ulquiorra Schiffer, stood up and cracked a brief smile. "The defense has no questions to offer at this time," he said smugly and then sat back down.

Daisuke's eyes never left Grand Fisher's, the man who murdered his mother.

* * *

She felt as if her heart was being ripped into tiny little pieces. She felt like she was paralyzed and ferocious animals were attacking her unmoving body. She felt like the world was flipped upside down and whatever god holding it up was shaking it.

"Y-you're what?" she asked quietly, a hole replacing the spot where her heart had resided not seconds, minutes, _hours_ before. She had been totally peaceful — well, as peaceful as she could ever get — and she was finally happy. She felt like her life was actually going to turn around for the better.

But now … now, everything was different.

"I'm testifying to put that bastard that killed my mom away," he repeated, his voice laced with excitement. "Another kid's mother was killed the same exact way my mom was. Rukia," — he grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly — "I'm going to get out of here."

She felt like puking. Her stomach twisted and she looked away and stood up. Her shoulders were shaking with pain, fear, and exhaustion. He looked so happy. The smile he never wore refused to fall; his eyes were bright with excitement.

So, he was getting what he always wanted — and he was leaving her behind.

"But," she managed to whisper. She looked up at him and his face fell a little; worry started to etch his features, finally, he looked like he was being dragged away from his happiness. "Y-you promised me that we'd stay together. You promised."

"This is what we've always dreamed of! We've _dreamed_ about this day, Rukia! You know, you know like I do. Sure, we came here because we were responsible for their deaths, but … we've always hoped to get out of here. I used to make-believe with this. And now it's here. I'm getting out of here!"

The shock wore off.

Anger replaced it.

"I was perfectly fine with staying here for the rest of my life!" she yelled, going to the other side of their cell. "Okay, yeah, so, when I first got in here, I wallowed in my guilt and, yeah, I wanted to get out still — because I wanted it to be a mistake or a horrible dream. I don't think that I'm innocent. I didn't kill Kaien Shiba. But I didn't do anything to stop it either. I'm just as much as a killer as Metastacia is.

"And … you promised me that you'd protect me! The man who killed my best friend is here and if he sees me he'll kill me too! He. Will. _Kill_. Me. I thought … I thought you …" — she paused, looking away — "I know it's selfish to think of you as my bodyguard but you are … were so much more than that. You were my best and I – I …"

Ichigo shook his head. "I've been dreaming …"

"You promised," tears filled her eyes. "Y-you promised you'd stay with me …"

"I know," he replied, his voice cracking.

She looked up at the small window she had stared at since she started sharing the cell with Ichigo and then even before, when she had a cell of her own. Rain poured from the sky and onto the ground, making everything harder for everybody else. People would be struggling to get to work on time and children would be trapped inside their homes.

"Leave," she whispered.

"Wha —"

"Please leave," she looked up into his eyes, her hands clutched. "You're going to get out and you're going to go on with your life. So, from now on, I'll be alone and I'll have to learn how to protect myself … on my own. Just, go."

Ichigo nodded. "Rukia …"

"GO!" And then he was gone, leaving her alone again. So, she didn't kill him but it sure did feel like it. Despair rolled off of her skin and filled up the room. She felt like she was going to be sick. She felt isolated and claustrophobic.

And tears leaked from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she slid down the back wall. Then, burying her face into her knees she cried out loud.

She felt something touch her shoulder and rub it gently. She looked up to see the face of the one she loved first: Kaien. He looked down at her kindly and she felt her chest swell with relief. He was alive, he was here, how was that possible? What was …?

His face changed. His eyes went from blue to gray, his hair from short and black to red and long. He gained tattoos on his face. He wasn't Kaien. It was Renji. "Rukia …" he said sadly.

And thought she didn't know him, at all really, Rukia leaned into his comforting embrace and she let her tears fall once more. She didn't believe she could ever be in this much pain. And yet, she didn't doubt that she could. Her whole life had been in pain 90 percent of the time.

Why should she be happy now?

She didn't deserve happiness.

* * *

He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat. And he couldn't seem to take one step without thinking about her. Guilt coated his heart and brain; he couldn't do anything without thinking of how he could have stayed behind and protected her.

When Kenpachi and his father talked about him finally getting out of his personal hell, he hadn't thought twice about what he wanted. But, at this point in his life, it wasn't really sure what he wanted anymore. He cared about Rukia and her safety more than his own … because she'd saved him.

And now — now, he'd betrayed her. Now, while he was about to testify to the very same court that put him away, she was hiding somewhere from the man who killed her. He was going to go outside. Outside. A place Rukia may have never get to see.

"How are you feeling?" his father asked.

"I can't do this," Ichigo replied sickly. "I – I can't. Rukia … she needs me. I can't face him. I can't do it. It was my fault Mom died, Dad. It was me."

Isshin took him roughly by the shoulder. "Ichigo," he growled. "You've waited too long and I've worked too hard for you to throw this all away now. You want to get out, don't you?" — Ichigo nodded — "Then you have to testify. You can't think about her or anyone else. Think about yourself, just this once, please."

Ichigo bowed his head and then nodded slowly. "Okay," he said.

Isshin smiled. "You won't regret this," he said, pulling his son into a hug. "We've waited nearly ten years for this break. And now we have it. Ichi … your mother would be so proud of you. She would want you to finally get that life you deserve. Help Rukia, when you're free. Please."

Ichigo nodded.

The two large doors of the courthouse swung inward and Ichigo gasped slightly. So this was it, he thought. This was that sign that everything would be okay. This was his chance to finally get out of his hellhole; he couldn't think about Rukia because, when he did get out, he'd make sure she was with him.

"Ready?" his father asked, touching his shoulder.

Ichigo faced the waiting courtroom, who had all turned around to look at the youngest boy in the world to be sent to prison for life, and he closed his eyes. _Mom_, he thought. Please, _help me face him_.

Then, holding his head up high, he walked inside.

* * *

_Seven Months Later …_

**Flashback …**

_There was a brief tug to his shirt. Ichigo looked down to see the face of a young boy, barely nine years old, looking up at him with the happiest face he'd seen in a long time._

_"Thank you," he whispered quietly, blushing slightly. "For helping put away that guy ... who killed my mom."_

_Ichigo got on his knees and pulled the kid into a tight hug. "I know what it feels like," he said just as quietly. "To lose the person you care about most to someone you don't even know." He felt his shirt become wet with Daisuke's tears. "But … you were the brave one. You stood up for her. I just … I was so scared, that I couldn't do anything but admit it was me that killed her._

_"You stood up for your mother and I'm sure she's very proud, wherever she is."_

_He released the boy and he saw him wipe his eyes. "Thank you," he said again. "I'm glad Grand Fisher is going to jail. Maybe now … I can start to move on."_

**End Flashback**

It was the biggest turnout of the century. When Grand Fisher, a member of the mob and murderer to more than two women, was put away, the nine-year-old child who had been in prison for nearly ten years was finally condemned innocent.

After ten years of suffering, pain, and staring at that little square window in his cell, Ichigo Kurosaki could finally say that he was leaving the only place he could really remember living in. No longer would he wear the orange jumpsuits and no longer would he be cleaning the "mystery meat" from the dinner plates. No longer would he be here …

He figured he should be happy.

But he wasn't happy. He was mourning the loss of his home, the one that became his home with his roommate. He was terrified for his best friend, the girl he loved more than anything: Rukia. The last time he'd talked to her, that day so long ago, she ended up screaming at him and he right back.

During the trial he stayed in a hotel so he'd never seen her since. And he missed her more than anything. He missed her occasional smiles and bad jokes, even her abusive nature. He knew that she was in danger every single day and yet … he hadn't done anything.

And now, as he was walking down the hallways that he used to know better than himself, he couldn't help but to think about all those years he had been alone, and those few months he had been totally content with staying there for the rest of his life.

Nothing much had changed. The girls' side of the prison was nearing the end of their construction, so, soon, everything would return to "normal." Well, as normal as anything got around here. Rukia would be leaving this side soon so she would be safe from Metastacia.

Everything was still grimy and dirty, with leaks and water on the floor. The cells were as bad as ever, the beds still hard, the pillows and blankets still nonexistent. The tile was slippery and cracking all around him. The lights were flickering in most places, as they usually were.

Yet, Ichigo felt like he had walked back home.

For the past week, since he was — by national law — condemned free of the charges against him, he had moved back home, into his old room, and he felt so awkward, so out of place. He missed the drip-drip-drip of one of the leaky pipes that had never been fixed and he missed the soft breathing of his roommate.

He missed prison.

Laughing out loud, Ichigo called himself crazy. He had dreamed his whole life to leave this place and with just a few little sentences …

_… "We find Grand Fisher … guilty of the murder of __Akane Aya and Masaki Kurosaki." …_

… His whole life had changed.

Coming up to the most familiar cell of them all, he nodded to the guard standing there and then walked inside. It was the middle of the day meaning Rukia wouldn't be in here. The only reason he was allowed to come back here was because he had a few things back here, like a picture of his family and a book he'd read a billion times since he was younger: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

It was a little ironic, but, hey, it was one of his favorites.

Walking inside, he ran his fingers along the rough bricks that made up the small space. He sat on Rukia's bed, his old bed and sighed contently. Looking over, he saw the little sink and toilet that had never worked properly since he got here. There was a tiny bookshelf by the strip of a window that used to dream about.

He walked over to it and pulled out his copy of Julius Caesar and noticed that his picture that had been next to it, was now marking one of pages. He smiled lightly; it looked like Rukia was reading it.

And then, he knew what he had to do. His mind started racing. Once he left this cell, he'd have to leave this prison forever. If he wanted to talk to Rukia, he'd have to by a separated piece of glass and they'd have to talk through a telephone.

He had planned on solving her case as soon as he got out. If that didn't work … then … then, he'd have to break the law saving her …

He'd _break_ her out.

Grabbing a pen out of his pocket, he pulled out the family photo — the one with his mom, dad, sisters, and himself a little over nine years ago — and flipped it over, jotting down a note on the back. That way … when Rukia picked this book up to read tonight, she'd find this note …

And he could finally help her.

Grinning to himself, he slipped the pen back in his pocket, put the book back, and exited the cell. He nodded to the guard and then left the prison, his home, and went back to his house … his new home.

* * *

**IT'S BEEN LESS THAN A MONTH SINCE I UPDATE LAST! \insert gasp here\. Haha! Here's the next chapter in "Free Me" as you probably already know. There's a only a few more chapters left! :(! Sad, isn't it?!**

**So, how did you guys like it? I know, I know, it's short but, hey, it's a update. Haha. Have a great week, everyone! And please review!**


	11. The Truth

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_**Previously …**_

_He'd _break_ her out._

_Grabbing a pen out of his pocket, he pulled out the family photo — the one with his mom, dad, sisters, and himself a little over nine years ago — and flipped it over, jotting down a note on the back. That way … when Rukia picked this book up to read tonight, she'd find this note … _

_And he could finally help her._

_Grinning to himself, he slipped the pen back in his pocket, put the book back, and exited the cell. He nodded to the guard and then left the prison, his home, and went back to his house … his new home._

* * *

It hadn't taken a long time to find her previous home. In fact, all he had to do was look on the front page of the newspaper to know who her brother and sister were and where she had grown up for part of her life. She had had a very good life before going to jail.

The house he was standing in front of was huge and white — even grander than something for the President of the United States. There was a majestic mahogany door and over ten windows on each side of the house. It looked to be three stories high … it had to be the grandest, most beautiful house Ichigo had ever seen.

He didn't know how a house as impressive could only occupy two people. If his father had a clinic this size, well … Ichigo knew that Isshin would be on his way to owning the most beautiful hospital in all of Japan.

He shook his head, took a deep breath, and started walking toward the building of a house. His shoes crunched on the gravel and, as the wind picked, his hands retrieved to the deep depths of his jacket pockets.

When he approached the door, instead of knocking, he just stood there … staring. For so long, he had imagined himself being free of his cell and he had for almost two weeks. It was different without the mystery meals and schedule he had known better than himself. Now, he was in front of his roommate's house and he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door.

Luckily, he didn't have to. For the next moment, it opened on its own. A woman — that he would have otherwise called Rukia if she hadn't been in jail — stuffed something in her coat pocket and looked up, a gasp left her mouth. Her midnight black hair was pinned back and her violet eyes looked up at him curiously. A scarf concealed her neck, protecting her from the wind as did her peach colored coat and dark jeans.

She blinked.

Recognition filled her eyes and her mouth opened and closed couple of times before her voice finally came back to her. "You're … you're Ichigo Kurosaki, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes looking him up and down and then finally resting on his eyes.

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yes, ma'am, I am. And you're … Hisana Kuchiki?" He remembered her name from a magazine article he had looked at while searching for her address.

"Yes, that's me. You just got out of prison a few weeks ago. You put the man who murdered your mother away. Your story's been all over the news! You're innocent. Innocent …" Her eyes seemed to glaze over, as if she was remembering something important.

"Well," Ichigo said nervously. "Yeah, I suppose." He paused. "When I was in prison, I resided with your sister, Rukia. We were cellmates for about five months. I first met her last summer."

Hisana's face became pale — which didn't really seem possible; her skin was already porcelain. Tears entered her eyes. "Y-you know, don't you?" she whispered quietly.

He nodded.

Then, her arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him into a very awkward hug. "Thank you so much," she whispered into his shirt, her tears falling. "Rukia … she said she'd never tell anyone! You … you must be very important to her. But why … why are you here?"

She looked up and removed her arms from him. "I love her," he said simply. "She … during the first few weeks I knew her, I hated her. But soon we became very close and shared our pasts with each other. I realized soon after that she had become the most important person to me … I was no longer bitter, I didn't feel miserable. I was … _happy_ with her. And I realized I was in love with her.

"Then there was a break in my case and I testified for that little boy who lost his mother. The man who did it was convicted guilty and I – I … I was free. And I had to leave her behind."

Tears fell from Hisana's eyes like the rain falling from the sky. "The day before the trial, we had a fight and that was the last time I saw her. Mrs. Kuchiki … your sister is in danger. The man who killed Kaien — Metastacia — is in jail for a different reason but, she said if he saw her, then he'd kill her. I – I can't let that happen.

"I love her too much to do that to her. I need to get her out — but I need your help. Please, if we can work on her case together, we might be able to save her. We just have to … _try_. Please. What do you say?"

He pulled his lips upward to a weak smile.

She grinned and he held out her hand. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Kurosaki. If there's anything I can do to help my little sister, I'll do it. You don't know how long I've waited for this. You're … you're like an angel."

He chuckled at the irony and then took her hand. "Ichigo," he said. "No need for formalities, since we'll be working so closely for the next few weeks. I would do anything to help Rukia, even if that meant going back for eternity. I can't live without her. Not now. Not ever."

And they shook on it.

* * *

Two rough hands grabbed her from behind. Rukia yelped and looked up, seeing two chocolate brown eyes staring back down at her. Her heart immediately melted at the sight of him. His orange hair was as warm as the sun when she looked at it.

He spun her around and his lips immediately pressed against hers. She hungrily replied, running her fingers through his hair as he wrapped his arms firmly around her waist. "I love you," he said between kisses and she returned the statement with her own.

"I love you more," she chimed when they broke apart for hair.

He chuckled and pecked her nose. They leaned their foreheads up against each other and just stood there, holding one another. Rukia giggled lightly and he looked down at her. "What are you thinking about, Princess?" he asked quietly, rubbing her back.

She kissed his chin. "I dunno," she replied. "I'm just happy."

He pulled her into her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her hair and then ran his fingers through it. "Good," he replied shortly. "Because I'm happy too."

…

Her eyes fluttered open. She felt a smile upon her face and quickly erased it. She felt a dampness beneath her eyes lids and down her cheeks; it was then that she realized she had been crying. Closing her eyes once more, she groaned and turned her head. Her cheeks pressed up against something cold and flat.

She opened her eyes once more and saw it was the book she had been reading for the past few nights: _The Tragedy of Julius Caesar_. She briefly remembered the note she'd found in it — on the back of Ichigo's photograph.

The note had caused so much hope in Rukia. When she first noticed it, she didn't think it was possible that it was actually there. She didn't know how he'd gotten in here ( it was only later that she learned he was escorted to get his things, which, he didn't ) and she was just so taken by surprise.

After he left for his trial, she had cried for half the night when she couldn't hear his soft breathing beside — or below — her.

Then, after a week of moping around, she decided that it was time to give up. He wasn't coming back … he had his own life now. He didn't need her. So she didn't need him. Even though she loved him, even though she actually dreamed about living with him somewhere outside of the prison, she had to let him go.

And here she was, dreaming again, like he had only left yesterday … not nearly nine months ago.

_You're being stupid_, Rukia, she told herself. _You let him go a long time ago. Just get over him! There are plenty more fish in the sea! _She paused._ Well, that's what Renji'd say, anyway_.

She sighed and closed her eyes again, thinking she was probably content enough to sleep all the way until morning. She stared at the ceiling, counting the number of cracks that had formed there over time. She followed along its pathways until it ended, then she'd start on another.

And, as she fell into black, the only thing she saw was orange and chocolate brown eyes — the man she loved, and still loved, more than anything.

* * *

"Damn it!" Ichigo yelled, throwing down the papers he'd been looking at. They flew, taking other files and papers with them, and several fell to the floor. Ichigo swore again and then ran his fingers harshly through his orange locks.

A small, soft hand appeared on his arm. He looked over to see Hisana, smiling at him tiredly. Her hair was hanging loosely from a ponytail and she was wearing a simple pair of sweats and a hoody along with a pair of glasses. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed she just got out of college … not that she was married and had been married for almost ten years.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You'll do fine. Did you ask your dad if you could stay in the guest quarters to continue working?" Ichigo nodded and then yawned. "Maybe you should get some sleep," she suggested. "I'm getting very tired myself." She picked up a Hostess cake and took a large bite of it.

Ichigo chuckled at her face. "What?" she asked, mouth full. "I'm hungry too." He rolled his eyes, then stretched his arms over his head. "But seriously, you should get some sleep," she added.

Ichigo nodded.

She patted his arm once more and then pushed her chair back. On cue, Byakuya walked into the kitchen and looked at Hisana with the gentlest expression his face could manage.

Then he glared at Ichigo. "Kurosaki," he nodded. Ichigo nodded back. "Hisana," he turned to his wife. She cocked her head to the side and giggled a bit.

"Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming," she said, smiling lovingly. She got up and looked over to Ichigo. "Don't stay up too late," she chastised him. "I'll come down on you like your mother would, rest her soul."

And then, she and Byakuya were gone.

Ichigo smiled lightly as they left. Truth be told, the first time he laid eyes on Byakuya, he had been scared out of his mind. The guy was big and stiff, the total opposite of tiny lovable Hisana. But, though his words were harsh and cold, Hisana reassured Ichigo that Byakuya did approve of him and looked forward for him to join the family.

Ichigo remembered blushing like a schoolboy when that happened.

He yawned again and looked down at the papers that had fallen to the floor. He picked them up; they were police reports and files of other cases that kind of, but not really, like Rukia's. He rubbed his eyes and blinked slowly a couple of times.

Then, gathering up the reports, he left the large kitchen he and Hisana had been sitting at for a good half of the day. The other half was spent at the jail, in Warden Kenpachi's office, trying to help her case. It didn't work; though Ichigo was not a criminal — never was — it didn't matter.

Rukia was still guilty.

But she wasn't.

He passed by Hisana and Byakuya's room. "Hisana, you shouldn't put too much strain on yourself," he heard Byakuya say quietly. "You don't want to hurt yourself or the baby …"

He could imagine Hisana rolling her eyes. "Byakuya," she said. "I'm not even in my second trimester! Calm down … the baby'll be fine! Nothing's going to happen to him!"

"Or her." Ichigo could almost feel the smile in his voice. "You don't want to hurt the baby's feelings now would you?"

There was a pause in their conversation. "I love you," he could hear her say happily.

"I love you too, my beautiful Hisana."

Ichigo felt his heart beat faster. So, it sounded like Hisana was pregnant. It made Ichigo a little happier to know that Hisana finally got something she so desperately wanted. During the last few days that they had known each other, they had told little things about themselves to pass the time away.

The fact that Hisana and Byakuya were trying to have a baby since … forever, hearing that she finally got pregnant made him feel like life could really happen … and life would go on.

He just had to save Rukia first.

He could feel his chest become heavy and his throat clogged. He turned off the light, shook his head, and started walking up the stairs. His eyes became heavy as he laid down in the comfortable bed in the Kuchiki guest room.

_I'll save you_, _Rukia_, he thought. _And I won't rest until I do_.

* * *

One phone call and that was it. One phone call and that was all he received for two weeks. He made sure the number was inconspicuous and guaranteed that one of his men would be posted there. "Lee's Pizza Place," a voice came on the other end. "How may I help you?" _Yo, boss, what's up_?_ Do you need something_?

"Yes, I'd like one sausage pizza, large," he replied. Code for, _I got someone for you to kill_. "And, make it snappy. I don't have all day." _Quick_.

"Yes, yes …" _Sure, who is it_? "What is your address?" _Where is he_,_ what day_?

"Third building …" _Wednesday_ … "Central Park." That one didn't need to be translated.

"Yes, yes sir." Then he hung up.

The man with black eyes smiled. Good, he thought. So, Rukia Kuchiki is here. I thought I got rid of her a long time ago when she took the fall for her precious boyfriend's life. I guess I was wrong. Looks like that girl — no matter where she's at — will find someone for me to hurt.

And Metastacia smiled, thinking of all the revenge he would finally get to take on the family that ruined his reputation and his life.

* * *

So, they had just killed Caesar and Brutus was regretting it.

_What an asshole_, Rukia thought when her light went. So, Brutus was Julius's best friend and, just because this other senator told him that Caesar was bad for Rome, Brutus practically led the way to kill him. Now, after he killed his friend and is about to go into battle … he's regretting killing said friend.

_Dumbass_.

She turned over and looked at the window. Yesterday was Wednesday and Ichigo hadn't shown up like he said he would. She had looked and looked, straying further and further away from the guards. Finally, when she near the line of trees where she could just run and break free, one of them called all of the prisoners back and she had no choice but to follow.

Ichigo hadn't shown up. Well, in his note, he said he'd show up if he couldn't solve her case. So, that didn't necessarily mean that very next Wednesday. She just hoped it would be.

It'd been nearly nine months since she'd last seen him. It was painful but she got through it. She befriended her new roommate, Rangiku Matsumoto ( arrested for prostitution ), and became closer to Renji. She didn't push people away but she never allowed to get too close.

That was Ichigo.

Ichigo was close to her and Hisana was close to her and Byakuya was close to her. But that was it. Her sister, brother, and Ichigo were the three most important people in her life and no one else would ever take their places within her heart.

So she had to keep waiting.

Creeping out of bed, she grabbed _The Tragedy of Julius Caesar_ and crawled over to the window. Opening it back up, she started reading Act five, knowing that she'd keep waiting and she'd keep going, no matter if she had to wait the rest of her life in this cell, rereading the same tragedy over and over and over …

She would keep loving him, no matter what. She would keep believing that her sister could save her, no matter what. She would keep living, no matter what. She would keep on fighting, no matter what.

So she would keep waiting, no matter what happened.

_Ichigo_, she thought, reading by the moonlight. _Please, I'm waiting. Just, please, _save_ me. Save me from what's going to happen if I don't get out of here. Just, _please_, I'm counting on you_ …

The rain started to fall outside, filling the world with either a miserable night or a new day.

_Free Me, _Ichigo_. Free Me_.

* * *

**A/N: Hey hey hey! Here's a new chapter! I'm getting better at this updating thing! XD, haha! I'm trying to get updates out faster so you guys can finally see resolution! It's going to be so sad leaving this story! :(! Did you like the chapter? I hope so! Just wait till the next one! Haha! Two more chapters left! It's going to get good!**

**So, who's going to see the Twilight movie tomorrow? I am! My best friend, Wendy and I are going to see it … we preordered tickets! \squeals!\ Haha! Speaking of Twilight, I'm writing my own fanfiction taking place after the fourth book. So, if you're interested! Check it out!**

**See ya! Please review!**

**-Liz**


	12. Wednesday

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_**Previously …**_

_She would keep loving him, no matter what. She would keep believing that her sister could save her, no matter what. She would keep living, no matter what. She would keep on fighting, no matter what._

_So she would keep waiting, no matter what happened._

Ichigo_, she thought, reading by the moonlight. _Please, I'm waiting. Just, please, save me. Save me from what's going to happen if I don't get out of here. Just, please, I'm counting on you_ … _

_The rain started to fall outside, filling the world with either a miserable night or a new day._

Free Me_, _Ichigo_. _Free Me_._

* * *

**Tuesday — December 16, 2008 — Eight AM**

"Hisana, I need to talk to you," Ichigo said one day after another two weeks of searching for answers. During those weeks, he had gone to the police station six times, slept for only about fourteen hours total, and ate toast and eggs that the cook had brought him every six hours or so.

"What about?" Hisana asked, rubbing her belly absentmindedly. She bit on a piece of toast and turned her attention from the breakfast she had been devouring to Ichigo, who moved his around with his fork.

"About Rukia," he answered. "We'll never solve this case … there's so much information missing and it's just so dated — it's impossible to know what happened when we're this late. I – I'm losing rapid hope to even have a chance at solve this thing."

Hisana's eyes left his. He saw her set down her fork and put her hands in her lap. "Then," she said, her voice very quiet. "What do you propose we do?" Ichigo had to remember everything that he was fighting for. He couldn't think about the law he'd actually be breaking, when he proposed his plan that he would do with or without Hisana's approval.

"I – I," he said, his eyes frantically searching the paper in front of him, looking for a clue he might have missed. He wanted to save Rukia, but he did not want to break her out of jail. "I …"

"You, _what_?" Hisana asked.

Rukia, he thought. I have to do it for Rukia. I've been thinking about myself and my needs for much longer than I should. I've got to stop being selfish … this is how I'm going to help her.

Then, he took a deep breath and looked Hisana straight in the eye. "This Wednesday — tomorrow — I know that Rukia goes to the park to pick up trash with a few other prisoners and a couple of guards. I know where she'll be … I can break her out of prison."

Hisana's eyes widened significantly. "B-but …" she said. "That's breaking the law! Ichigo, you'll get a one-way back to jail. Rukia wouldn't want you to do that! If she really cares about you, which, she must since she told you about Kaien, then she wouldn't want you to go back."

Ichigo shook his head. "She's been thinking about me and what's best for me since we became friends. There's no way that I'm going to think about myself. She's _counting_ on me, Hisana. I can't just leave her. I already gave her a note saying that'd I'd come get her, no matter what."

"YOU WHAT?!?"

Hisana's eyes were as big as saucers and were ferocious; she stood up and slammed her hands down on the table. "Ichigo," she said, her voice low and deadly. "You can't do that. You can't go save her like this. There's always another way … there's gotta be."

"But what if there isn't?" he asked. "Are we just supposed to let her rot away in there? She's not safe in there as long as Metastacia's there! He'll kill her! I can't let that happen."

Hisana looked at the ground and sighed. She then sat back down and picked up her fork, continuing to eat. She didn't meet his eye. "Fine," she said. "I'll let you go … but, if you get caught, I want no part in it. I'm finally going to have a baby … I can't go to jail, even if it's for my sister. I hope you understand."

Ichigo could see tears falling down her cheeks. He touched her hand. "I understand," was all he said before she broke down and cried over her plate of eggs.

_I won't get caught_, Ichigo vowed. _I know it_.

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:24 AM**

Rukia sighed as she boarded the van on the way to the park. Matsumoto was jibber jabbing away but Rukia only half-listened. The half of her was anxiously waiting to get there. The note Ichigo had given her was safety tucked away into her orange jumpsuit pocket.

The note — in which gave her so much hope and yet so much disappointment with each word. She had reread it until she had it memorized. She folded and refolded it until you could hardly tell what the photograph had been of. But Rukia knew.

_Rukia,_

_Hey, it's me, Ichigo. I'm only in here today because I was getting some of my stuff. But, it seems like you're enjoying a classic and that I've read several times. So, I'll just leave it._

_Rukia … I wanted to apologize for not being there for you when I went to trial. But, I worked every night on your case and, when I got out, I went straight to Hisana's and I've been helping her. We just … we can't find anything. Your case is just so dated and there aren't any witnesses._

_I promised I'd get you out, and I will … there is not a doubt in my mind. So, on Wednesday, I want you to look for me. I might be perched in a tree or in the woods … just, look. I'll help you escape. We'll get out — together. We'll go to Mexico or America or wherever you want to go. Okay?_

_I promise you that. Don't lose hope in me. I'll get you out, even if I have to go back in._

_-Ichigo_

She sighed.

The trees rolled past and the road was slick under the car. It was raining, like it had been for a while, and the girls were talking loudly about hot guys and movies they couldn't wait to watch on TV.

Rukia just sat and watched the outdoors. Matsumoto had long given up talking to her and was now talking to another big-busted woman — who was arrested for violating the restraining order placed on her — named Nel. Rukia only knew who she was because Matsumoto would talk about her constantly; they were BFFs.

The van stopped moving and Rukia looked up. Everyone was piling out of the van and grabbing their trash bags, eager to start so they could leave sooner. Rukia tucked her hand inside her pocket, and wrapped her slim fingers around the photo before exiting.

She grabbed her bag and headed for the biggest tree in the park, picking up trash on the way. She was trying to remain inconspicuous from the guards, who were all talking by the van … not paying any attention to her or her fellow prison mates.

Suspense knotted her stomach and hope was running throughout her mind. Her heart was pounding as she came closer and closer to the tree. Either he was up in that tree — because it was the largest and had the most branches and leave to hide in — or he was by the tree line, about nine feet away from the tree.

Her eyes scanned the tree line … nothing.

She took a deep breath and continued to pick up trash, straying away from the guards as slowly as she could. _Come on_, she thought. _Where are you, Ichigo_?

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:24 AM**

Kenpachi Zaraki was not one to be soft when it came to his prisoners. After all, they got themselves in here — what they did to get here, however, he did not care about — and they deserved to rot away here. There was just two people who did not deserve to be in here.

And one of them was free and the other … was living without him.

He could see, from the very beginning, that they'd be a good match for each other. After all, they were both loners, they both had strong tempers, and they were both innocent.

Ichigo Kurosaki hadn't killed his mother when he was nine. He had only been a scared little kid, caught in the middle of a bad situation — the situation that scarred him for the rest of his life. Yet, he took all the blame and was planning to live in college for the rest of his life.

Rukia Kuchiki was also living a total lie. She had been raped by someone evil, but it wasn't her boyfriend, who had been at the wrong place, at the wrong time. She had given everything for that man … she had lied under oath and took the blame for something she took no part in. She was the victim and, yet, she was here … and the murderer had gotten away.

They were good kids in school, for the time they had gone to school. They were both a little lonely and a little socially awkward, but they were good kids … good people.

Kenpachi knew right away that they were innocent and, when he looked further into their cases, it only furthered his belief. They just weren't the criminal types; Rukia was a makeshift Kuchiki noble and Ichigo was a total Momma's boy … those kind of children didn't just kill people.

He had finally, with the help of many police officers, helped Ichigo get out of jail. The real killer was here now and he was never getting out.

And he was about to set Rukia Kuchiki free.

There was this officer, named Urahara Kisuke, who had went undercover as a drug dealer and he eventually joined one of the scariest gangs in all of Japan. Metastacia — who was actually in jail now — was the leader of this gang.

For nearly ten years, Kisuke had witnessed horrid crimes and he was, after many months of rehabilitation, finally talking about them. He was a little off his rocker now, but, that was expected. For almost three days now, he had been writing about all the crimes.

And one of them was the murder of Kaien Shiba, the man that Rukia Kuchiki had "murdered." The information had just come in this morning and, once Rukia returned from her job at the park, Kenpachi was going to call her to his office and talk to her …

Maybe she could be free too.

Picking up the phone, he dialed a phone number he had memorized nearly two years ago. Like with Kurosaki, Kenpachi had been keeping close to Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, giving him updates about Ichigo and his life and the case. It was the same with Rukia, only it was Hisana whom he called.

"Hello?" came a gravelly voice on the other end of the phone. It was Hisana and she sounded like she was upset. "Who is this?"

"Hi, Hisana Kuchiki, this is Kenpachi Zaraki," he replied smoothly. "I'm calling on behalf of your sister, Rukia Kuchiki. I would like to talk to you about … releasing her from prison."

Silence.

"Mrs. Kuchiki?"

There as a beep-beep-beep of the dial tone. She had hung up. Well, Kenpachi said. That was strange … I wonder if her phone just went dead?

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:27 AM**

Hisana threw the phone down before Kenpachi had a chance to tell her anything else. Releasing Rukia from prison … then that meant Ichigo was going to break the law for no reason but to put himself back in jail.

Trying to slow her rapid-beating heart, she ran to the counter of her kitchen and grabbed her purse. She pulled out her cell phone, quickly finding Ichigo's number on speed dial. She hit the 'send' button and waited for the ringing.

It rang four times before going to voicemail.

Shit, Hisana and then ran for the house phone. She quickly called Kenpachi back. When she heard him mutter a hello, she quickly shouted, "Mr. Kenpachi! Oh my gosh, thank God! I need your help … Ichigo needs your help. You see, he has this plan …"

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:32 AM**

Ichigo ran and ran and ran. The road had hit a dead end a long time ago, so he had shut it off and got out and started sprinting through the forest, looking for the end. He had to take the back ways to the park so he could help Rukia make her escape.

His lungs tightened and released as he breathed harder and harder. He hadn't run like this since he took karate as a kid. It felt good in one aspect but he was just so out of shape.

Keep going, he thought. Do it …

"For Rukia," he said out loud and then he kept repeating her name over and over in his head. Each time he heard the light crunch of the leaves under his feet, he repeated her name. He could remember everything she had done to him and for him.

As thoughts of her consumed his mind, he ran faster and faster.

Sooner than he expected, the tree line appeared. He stopped suddenly and crept up to a huge tree, right at the end. There was a small patch of exposed grass but it wasn't too much … hope she could sneak away quickly.

There, his mind registered her midnight sooner than he expected. She was standing next to a large tree only about ten feet away. He would have called to her, but he didn't want anyone else to hear. So, crouching down low, so the grass reached up over his head, he crawled over to the tree.

He stood on the other side so the guards' views would be blocked by the tree. Rukia didn't seem to notice him even though he was only a few feet away from her. It was so strange; he had been obsessing over trying to break her out for months, he actually kinda forgot what she looked like.

His memory hadn't registered her hair being so shiny or her eyes being as bright. Her skin was more like porcelain than an ill person's clamminess. She looked like an angel in an orange jumpsuit.

Smiling lightly, his heart pounding, he whispered, "Rukia … are you there?" Her ear's immediately perked up. Quickly, he said, "Don't stop picking up trash. I want you to stab the ground once for yes, twice for no. Okay?"

She stabbed the ground once, picking up a piece of trash and then putting in her yellow trash bag. "Okay, I want you to come to this side of the tree on my mark. Got it?" Stab. "Good, and we're going to take off your orange jumpsuit … it'd be too noticeable with all these guards. Do you have clothes on under it? Pants and a shirt at least?"

Stab.

"Good. Okay, come now. Slowly, don't make them suspect anything."

Slowly, Rukia made it to the other side of the tree. And, when she was also blocked from the guards by the van, she looked up at him. Her eyes were piercing his, like she was staring into the deep depths of his soul.

"Ichigo," she whispered, grabbing his jacket and clutching onto it like, if she let go, he'd disappear, leaving her all alone again. "Ichigo …" Tears leaked from her eyes.

"… Yo," he whispered, smiling crookedly down at her.

"Thank you, Ichigo," she whispered, leaning into him. "Thank you …"

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:34 AM**

Another two weeks had gone by because he could finally call someone again. He picked up the phone, made sure there was a dial tone, and then called another payphone, one where a man of his would be posted.

"Hello, Radio Club," the voice on the other line said. "How may I help you?" The translation was something like this — _Yes boss, I'm here, what's up_? _What do you need_?

"I need to place an order for an orange TV," he said. Are you around the target with orange hair? Can you see him? What's your angle.

"Yes, sir, I have one right here." _Yes, sir, he's in view_. "Would you like to purchase it?" _Do you want me to kill him_?

The man chuckled darkly. "Yes, ship it immediately." _Kill him as soon as they start to go away_. "Thank you, I'll be expecting it _soon_." _Good luck and get it _done.

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:34 AM**

The car screeched to a halt. Luckily, Hisana was already out and waiting by the door. She quickly ran down the steps, nearly slipped, and then ran to his car.

When she slammed the door shut, Kenpachi raced off through the line of trees that separated her mansion from the highway. He drove too fast to be safe but today they couldn't be safe. "What the hell was he _thinking_?!" Kenpachi roared. "That idiot is going to get himself killed or worse, be put back in jail!"

He slammed on the gas when they pulled out into the highway, flipping on the siren. People immediately pulled over as he raced — reaching nearly 100 miles an hour — down the highway. _Please_, _Ichigo_, Hisana. _Just wait for us_. _Don't do anything yet_. _Please_, _wait for us_.

There was a sign that read, "City Park — five miles."

Kenpachi went faster.

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:37 AM**

In the trees, a young man around nineteen or so, held up his gun. He watched as the woman in the orange jumpsuit, Rukia Kuchiki was her name, clutched onto his target, Ichigo Kurosaki's, jacket. He watched them and wanted to barf.

Ugh, he thought. It's a couple … great. I have to kill the romantic.

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:37 AM**

"Wha-what are you doing here?" Rukia asked, letting go his jacket. "I mean … I got your note. I was waiting, I just … I didn't think …"

He lifted up her chin. "Explanations later. I'll tell you when we're halfway across the world. Come on, I'll help you take this off." Rukia nodded and then she unzipped her jumpsuit, shaking it off her shoulder. She only wore a pair of shorts and a tank top under it, so Ichigo slipped off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

Then, he said, "Okay, stay low to the ground. I'll make sure no one's looking."

Rukia nodded and crouched low. Ichigo poked his head around the side of the tree and saw that the guards had nearly disappeared around the other side of the van … it looked like another one of the convicts was giving them trouble. She had strawberry-blonde hair and huge breasts … Ichigo had no idea who she was.

Quite by accident, he caught her eyes and she winked.

She was helping them escape. He mouthed a silent 'thank you' and she nodded. The guards looked back but Ichigo had already disappeared around the tree. The woman then turned around and ran … the guards ran after her.

"Go, now!" Ichigo said harshly.

He and Rukia ran as fast as they could to the tree line.

Sirens were in the distance. Ichigo's heart was pounding. Why were their sirens? Who was coming? Were they mere reinforcements or was it … Hisana? Did she go to the police, or worse Kenpachi? Were they coming after him to haul Rukia and him away again?

"Damn it," Ichigo cursed. "Come on, Rukia! We have to hurry!"

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:38 AM**

"Stop the car, stop the car!" Hisana screamed when they reached the park. Kenpachi slammed on the breaks, creating black streaks on the pavements.

They both slammed their doors shut at the same time and Hisana took off running to the tree line screaming. Kenpachi yelled at the guards to get all the prisoners back into the van and then follow the girl and then he took off as well.

They saw a bob of an orange head in the distance. "Ichigo!" Hisana yelled. "Come back! Rukia … we … oh no …" she collapsed on the ground, clutching her rounding stomach. "Come on, baby, not now. I – I have to go save Aunt Rukia …"

She was breathing hard when Kenpachi reached her. He bent down to help but she yelled, "Go! I'll be fine! I'll just call Byakuya … damn it, go Kenpachi! Save my sister!" She had already pulled out her cell phone, dialing her husband's number.

Kenpachi nodded and took off yelling Ichigo and Rukia's names over and over … but they didn't stop running. At one point, Rukia looked back, her eyes full of fear. He saw her lips move, like she was telling Ichigo something but he just shook his head and kept running.

When Kenpachi reached the tree line, he jumped over branches and felt sharp thrones poking him in the arms, through his uniform. He kept his eyes on Ichigo the whole time.

He called out, but he was too late. And then there was a shot.

And everything stopped.

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:40 AM**

"Ichigo!" Rukia heard a familiar voice call. She looked back and saw her sister running toward her, waving her arms madly. Rukia's heart filled with guilt and regret. Her sister was here, trying to stop him … what could have happened? Did she turn him in? What was going on!?

"Come back! Rukia …" and then her voice died away. She knelt to the ground, clutching her stomach helplessly.

"Ichigo!" Rukia said, worried as he tugged on her hand harder. "My sister! She's hurt! We have to go back … please!" Tears were escaping her eyes and falling down her cheeks relentlessly. "Please, we have to go back! I have to see if she's okay!"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, we can't!" he yelled. "If we do … we'll only have to go back. I told her about the plan yesterday and she – she … she turned me in! Kenpachi is here and he's only going to drag us back to jail! Then we'll never get free!"

Rukia nodded and they kept running.

She heard Kenpachi call Ichigo's name, telling him to stop and then to Rukia, telling her that she had to stop and talk to him, he had news. She had to keep telling herself that they were lies, all of his words were lies. They were just going to put Ichigo and her back in jail.

They had to keep running. They had to keep going.

Ichigo was thinking along the same lines. He could hear the truth pouring out of Kenpachi's mouth but he had to make himself believe that all his words were false. Everything that he had done for Ichigo … the father figure that Ichigo had looked up to … was telling him lies.

"ICHIGO!" Kenpachi roared. "Stop! Come back!"

"I can't, I can't," he muttered under this breath. Rukia looked up at him, clutching onto his hand for dear life. She was scared out of her mind … like she should be.

The whole plan was going wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen.

There was a shot and Ichigo felt himself go down. He could hardly register the pain. All he heard were the screams of Rukia; his eyes were unfocused and everything was blurry. And then his eyes closed and everything went black.

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:40 AM**

The young man hiding in the trees pulled out his gun so the target was in view. He smiled. _First Kaien Shiba and now Ichigo Kurosak_i, he thought. _Brilliant_.

Then, he fired.

* * *

**Wednesday — December 17, 2008 — 10:40 AM**

Ichigo crumpled to the ground beside her. The shot was still ringing in her ears as she fell down beside him. There was blood that mixed into with the snow that hadn't melted yet. His eyes were crossed and he was looking around helpless.

She crawled so she had his face in her hands. "Ichigo," she said. "Don't leave me! Stay with me!" The gun shot, she noticed, was in his chest … it looked fatal. "Come back, Ichigo! Come back to me! Please!" Tears were falling harder than she could ever remember.

"Go! The guy's getting away! Go, catch him!" Kenpachi roared, coming next to Rukia. She heard the crunching as the guards went to go search for the man who had just shot Ichigo.

Would they find him?

Did they ever?

Kenpachi had stripped off his uniform coat, so he was only wearing a thin shirt, and was pressing it up against Ichigo's chest. "Rukia," he said, looking her straight in the eye. "Go find your sister and call 911. Now, do it. Ichigo needs you. We might be able to save him."

Rukia nodded and stumbled to her feet. She took off running to the small strip of grassland between the big tree and the forest. She fell more times than she bothered to remember, and blood was dripping down her arms as the branches cut her.

"Hisana!" she yelled when she couldn't see her. "Hisana! Help me!"

She finally found her, on her hands and knees, breathing deeply. "Hisana!" she said desperately. Her sister looked up, her eyes widening.

"Wha-what was that?" she asked.

"I – it was Ichigo …" she replied, falling to her knees. "Someone shot him … just like Kaien … just like Kaien." Tear, more tears kept coming. How many had she stored up for this? It seemed like years of water was pouring from her eyes. "We have to call the police. Kenpachi could maybe save him …"

Hisana already had the phone next to her ear. She was muttering something into it but Rukia couldn't catch the words. She looked down at her clothes and saw the blood … Ichigo's blood.

She cried out and fell into Hisana lap. Her sister immediately started brushing the hair from her eyes, trying to calm her down. "Get here! Now!" she screamed into the phone. "Rukia, Rukia," she said softly, taking Rukia's face into her hands.

"I – Ichigo," Rukia cried, leaning into her sister. She clutched onto her jacket. Hisana stroked her hair like she used to when she was little.

Hisana said something into Rukia's ear … something that sounded like good news. But Rukia couldn't hear and she didn't want to … she didn't care. Ichigo was going to die because of her, just like Kaien. Ichigo was never going to see another day and Rukia would.

And it was all her fault.

Her eyes closed and she welcomed the darkness, hoping it would take her wherever Ichigo was. Whether that was heaven or hell, life or death, she didn't care. Everything was over now. She didn't care what happened to her. She just …

She just didn't want to be alone anymore.

Not now when Ichigo was dead and Kaien was dead. Not when she would have to go back to jail. Not now, not ever … she couldn't live with that much guilt again.

Her train of thought stopped as she sunk into the deep depths of unconsciousness.

* * *

**A/N: Ohmygosh! Only ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT!! :( I'm so sad! :( Speaking of sadness, how did you guys like the chapter? Was it good, bad? Stupid? Let me know! :) And did anyone catch the reference back to the one particular episode in the Bleach series and that's also going to be in the movie?? Tell me! :)**

**Please review!**

**-Liz**


	13. Epilogue

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_**Previously …**_

"_I – Ichigo," Rukia cried, leaning into her sister. She clutched onto her jacket. Hisana stroked her hair like she used to when she was little._

_Hisana said something into Rukia's ear … something that sounded like good news. But Rukia couldn't hear and she didn't want to … she didn't care. Ichigo was going to die because of her, just like Kaien. Ichigo was _never_ going to see another day and Rukia would._

_And it was all her fault._

_Her eyes closed and she welcomed the darkness, hoping it would take her wherever Ichigo was. Whether that was heaven or hell, life or death, she didn't care. Everything was over now. She didn't care what happened to her. She just …_

_She just didn't want to be alone anymore._

_Not now when Ichigo was dead and Kaien was dead. Not when she would have to go back to jail. Not now, not ever … she couldn't live with that much guilt again._

_Her train of thought stopped as she sunk into the deep depths of unconsciousness._

* * *

— **Two weeks later —**

Black is a color of mourning. White is a color of purity. Yellow is the color of waiting.

Rukia felt as if she was experiencing all of these colors, all of these feelings, waiting next to his bedside for him to finally wake up. She had held his hand and slept next to him. She ran her fingers through his hair and stared at his closed eyes for three weeks now.

Three weeks — and he still hadn't woken up. Three weeks she had been hospital food, wearing pajama bottoms and big t-shirts, and staring at his shut eyes. She hardly sleep, and, if she did, she hardly managed to keep her eyes closed for fear that he would wake up while she was gone.

It was ridiculous … because he hadn't woken up. Did that mean he wasn't going to wake up at all? Did that mean she would be alone in this world again? She had to leave soon … and she didn't want to go without him, not without Ichigo.

The door opened and someone walked inside but she didn't look up. Instead, she squeezed his hand again and, again, she was disappointed to not feel it squeeze back. Dropping her eyes to the floor, she tried yet again not to let her tears fall.

"Rukia, honey," she heard a familiar voice say. Glancing up, she saw her sister set a bowl of soup on the nightstand next to Ichigo's bed. "Come on, you need to eat. You haven't for the past two days."

Had it been that long? She wondered. It didn't seem to be minutes since the last time she had to leave Ichigo to eat. It seemed so unnecessary. Why should she eat, or continue to live, if he wasn't? He had saved her life with the cost of his own.

She lost her appetite again just by thinking about it.

"I'm not hungry," she said quietly.

Hisana sighed and took a seat next to Rukia. She touched her belly, which had finally started to grow out a bit. She rubbed it absentmindedly and said, "He wouldn't want you to be starving yourself over him." Rukia's eyes never left his face.

"He's not here to tell me that," she replied hopelessly, feeling her insides turn to mush and then be sucked away by a black hole, replacing it with nothingness.

"But you know that's exactly what he'd say," her sister countered. "You knew him well enough. You know that's exactly what he'd say. You were in the same cell with him for over five months! You know him, Rukia. Better than I do, better than his own father does … better than – than, just, _anyone_. Don't play _stupid_, Rukia. You know he wouldn't have wanted this."

Rukia felt her heart break at her sister's words. Not only was everything she saying exactly true, but it was all in past tense. Like Ichigo was really dead already … like he was already gone.

"Wouldn't want this," she whispered quietly. "Not he wouldn't have want_ed_ this … just wouldn't _want_ this. Don't act like he's already gone. He's still here." She squeezed his hand again — and again no response. Her heart broke a little more.

Hisana stood up quickly and walked over to the door. Rukia watched as she gripped the handle clutching it so hard her knuckles turned white. She looked back, her eyes ablaze. "Rukia," she said, anger definitely residing in her voice. "You have five days until you leave forever and I'll never see you again. I've waited almost three years."

Tears were in her eyes when Rukia finally looked up to meet them. "We've been waiting five years to get you out of that hellhole that was bestowed onto you. And when we finally get you back, you have to leave … and this time I won't see you again … _ever_. Ever, not until we meet in heaven, if there is one."

She sighed. "You won't see — or even meet — your niece, Rukia. You'll leave and you're sitting here with a hopeless case! I knew Ichigo … he was a good guy, he really was. But he wouldn't want you wasting your time sitting there, staring off into space.

"_We_ still need you, Rukia."

And then the door opened, slammed shut, and she was gone.

* * *

So, there was this river. It was familiar, but he couldn't exactly recognize it. And there was this woman with long strawberry-blonde hair, sitting there quietly. He didn't quite remember her, but he felt like he should.

"Hello?" he called out, taking a step forward. The sun shined from above, making her hair glisten when she turned her head slightly. He still could not see her face. He kept walking toward her until he was standing over her shoulder.

"Sit down with me," she said, her voice sounding like that of an angel's. He did as he was asked, wanting to please this mystery woman somehow. "I've waited a long time to talk to you, Ichigo."

When he finally looked at her, he gasped. She looked like him kind of. Different eyes but same nose; she had the same color hair, he finally realized and she looked at him with the most loving, golden eyes he had ever seen. It was her …

It was his mother.

"Mom," he whispered quietly.

She smiled softly and took his head. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked back out to the river, a faraway look evident in her eyes. "I've missed you, Ichigo, my son," she said quietly. He was about to respond but she went on before he could say anything. "I wanted to thank you for everything you did on my behalf and I want to say that I'm proud you found someone that you love."

He smiled softly. "Where are we?" he asked. "I – I don't remember much. Just running and the trees and Rukia … and then pain; lots and lots of pain. Then darkness. Endless darkness. And then I was here, just like that. Weird, huh?"

She laughed lightly. "We're next to the river we walked by together to get to your old dojo school. Remember, Ichigo? You used to tell me about all the things you did; that you even beat Tatsuki … once. I loved it when you told me those stories. It made me feel so special."

He nodded. "I missed you too, Mom."

For a long while they sat in silence. Ichigo could feel the sun on his back — the warmth made him sleepy with pleasure. The river was calming as it rushed to the ocean. He felt his mother lean into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

He felt content right now and he could stay here forever. The sun shining, the river rushing, and he and his mother sitting, watching it all.

"But we can't stay like this," she said quietly.

It was then that Ichigo felt despair … unthinkable despair. He didn't want to leave even though he knew there was somewhere else, with someone else, that he needed to be. He just wanted to stay here with his mother forever. That was all he wanted …

"Rukia needs you, sweetheart," she explained gently. She lifted her head. She placed both hands on each side of his face and whispered, "You can't stay here … right now, you're in a coma. Rukia has been sitting by your bedside for nearly two weeks. You need to go back to her."

He shook his head slightly. "B-but Mom …" he started to protest.

"She needs you," she said again. "Listen. Beyond the river and beyond the sun and beyond the silence, can you hear her calling out to you? Can you?"

He listened deep and hard, wondering what his mother could be talking about. They had just been sitting in silence and he hadn't heard Rukia speak at all. He didn't even know she was here or _could_ be here. He shook his head slightly and then froze when he heard it …

"_Ichigo_, _please come back to me_," the voice cried. "_You've been gone a long time and I have to leave soon_. _Hisana doesn't think you'll make it_, _I don't think anyone does_ … _but I do_, _Ichigo_. _I know you can get through this_. _You just_ – _you have to prove everyone else wrong_. _Can you do that_?"

She paused and he could almost see her milky white skin and raven black hair. He could almost feel her hand on his left palm, squeezing it ever so often. He could almost see her eyes staring down upon him with such grief, such hopelessness that he wanted to reach out and comfort her.

"_Come back to me_," she whispered and he could swear he saw the tears running down her cheeks and onto his bed where they disappeared into the sheets.

"I – I," he tried to call out, but his voice wouldn't work.

There was a shimmer of light and he saw his mother again. Rukia's voice was gone and he could no longer feel her hand or see her at all. "I heard her," he whispered quietly. "I – I heard her, Mom."

His mother smiled softly. "Then you need to go," she said. "Go to her. We will meet again long after your father has come back to me, alright?"

He nodded and felt like his meeting with his mother was coming to an end. There was just something he felt that he need to ask. "Mom," he said as her form started to shimmer. "Did you blame me for your death? I mean, I went to jail because I blamed myself but did you —"

Her finger stopped him from speaking. "I would never blame you for what happened to me," she said strongly. "I felt extreme guilt — even now — at the thought that my little boy would think that I thought that. I would _never_ ever blame you. It was those men … you were just a child.

"There was nothing you could have done."

When she pulled her finger away from his lips, she saw they were wet. Ichigo could feel the weakness, the emotion casting his face like a mold. He was crying, tears of sadness and regret and total relief falling down his cheeks. His mother smiled sadly.

"I love you," she said simply.

"I love you too, Mom."

And she was gone, and everything went black again.

* * *

Everything became white very fast. At one moment, he was lying in eternal darkness and the next he was blinking and then looking up at very bright light As his eyes adjusted, he saw that the walls surrounding him were a light blue and there were paintings of boats and oceans hanging on the walls.

It heart to move his eyes too fast so he moved the slowly, slowly around the room. The constant _beep_ _beep_ _beep_ reached his ears right away and quickly got annoying … until he looked over and saw that it as a machine, telling him that his heart was beating.

Then, it quickly became his friend.

He groaned at the pain resting in his chest and arms and legs, his head, neck, and back. He turned his head over again and saw a window … it must be late at night, because it was black outside. Moonlight was streaming in the room and across his bed.

It was then that he saw a hand. It was milky colored and small. It was holding his own hand and he could feel the warmth that it radiated. He saw her hair sprawled out by his thigh … she was sleeping. He had to wake her up, because now he was awake.

She had been waiting for him to wake up. Isn't that what his mother had told him? That she had waited for several days until he could finally open his eyes?

He couldn't speak so he moved his fingers just a bit. Her head immediately snapped up at his touch and she looked at him curiously and then her eyes shined a bit. It took him a moment to realize they were tears.

"Ichigo …" she whispered. Her voice cracked when she said his name. "I – I …"

"… Princess," he managed. He lifted the corners of his mouth into what he called the best smile. She did the same and he could swear that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "Oh thank God," she said and her tears finally spilled over.

Ichigo nodded slightly and closed his eyes again, feeling suddenly very tired even though he hadn't done much. As the sunk deeper into the blackness he felt something warm press up against his side. Opening his eyes slowly he saw Rukia curl up next to him.

Amber met violet and she looked at him as if she could see the very center of his soul. He didn't feel uncomfortable though — in fact, he felt warm and safe and happy under her gaze. Her eyes made him feel like, no matter what happened in the future, they'd always have each other.

"No matter what," she whispered, as if she knew what he was thinking.

He smiled slightly and nodded once. She leaned in and kissed his shoulder that was covered with the hospital gown he was wearing. She closed her eyes, and, very gently, leaned into him. Carefully, he wrapped his arm — though it hurt like _hell_ — around her shoulder.

No matter what, he thought.

And, as he watched the moonlight running across the sheets and over Rukia's cheeks and sleeping eyes, he knew … no matter what, they'd always be together. Nothing else mattered; nothing ever did.

* * *

— **Five days later —**

"I'll miss you," her sister said quietly, hugging her as tightly as she could possibly manage. They were at the airport, off to somewhere Rukia did not know, nor her sister.

"We'll see each other again," Rukia promised, though she knew it wasn't true.

After Ichigo had woken up that first time, five days ago, he had began healing quickly. By the second day awake, he was up and moving. The doctors said his determination to walk and live again were incredible; no one had been up that fast after taking a bullet to the chest.

But Ichigo had done it.

During that time, Rukia had spent most of her time with her sister. Catching up about the past two years they had lived without each other. She saw Byakuya once or twice but, for the most part, he had stayed at the office where he worked.

Then, after five days, Ms. Yoruichi Shihōin had come to the hospital with bad news. She said that it was time for Ichigo and Rukia to leave and move to wherever in the world that the Witness Protection Unit was placing them. They didn't know where they were going and no one else knew either.

"Goodbye, Son," Isshin Kurosaki said with tears in his eyes; this time with real sadness. He felt as if he had just finally gotten his son back and now he was already leaving again … but this time for good. "I'll miss you … Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled sadly and hugged his father hard. With two slaps on the back, they parted. Ichigo moved onto his little sisters. Yuzu was standing there, tears running down her pale cheeks. Karin had her arms crossed and she was looking the other direction.

"Bye, Sis," he whispered, hugging Yuzu. He could immediately feel her tears running through his t-shirt and onto his bare skin. He felt so awful for leaving her behind, mostly because he never even got to know her. Grabbing a note from his pocket, he slipped it into hers.

"Be careful," he whispered. "That's for you to contact me bye. Okay?"

She nodded, tears still falling without mercy. He kissed the top of her head and then moved onto his next sister, Karin. "You shouldn't have to go, Ichigo," she said. "It's so stupid. Why couldn't they just leave you alone?"

She still wasn't facing him. "I did something that offended them and it puts their business in danger," he explained. "It's the best way to keep us safe."

She jerked back like she had been tugged from behind. "But … but," she whispered, her eyes filling up with unwanted tears. "You … you shouldn't have to go! It wasn't … it wasn't your fault." She cried out and leaned into him. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into his chest.

He kissed her hair and whispered, "Yuzu has my email. It's not like I'll be gone forever. Just … you won't see me. But I'll still be around. Count on it. Okay? I love you, Yuzu."

"I love you too, Ichi," she cried, nodding.

There was a sudden booming, "Okay! Time to leave! Plane's boarding! Let's go, let's go!" A woman with long, purple hair pulled back into a ponytail suddenly appeared next to the parting family. Her name was Yoruichi and she was the woman who was taking them to their new lives.

Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other and sighed at the same moment.

He walked over to her and took her hand. They looked back at their family, who — minus Byakuya, of course — had red eyes from crying and sad, depressed looks. Hisana was rubbing her growing belly, Isshin was holding both of his daughters in half-hugs. Said daughters were sniffling and rubbing their noses.

"Ready?" the Ms. Yoruichi said.

The two former convicts passed a glance at one another, fear and sadness etching their features. At the same moment, they nodded and looked back.

"I'm ready," Rukia whispered, squeezing Ichigo's hand.

"Me too," he added, squeezing her hand back. She looked like the needed the reassurance.

They were led away from their family who smiled bravely and waved until they were up the stairs, out of sight, and out of their lives forever. Rukia and Ichigo bowed their heads at the loss of the life here … now they were going somewhere unfamiliar … somewhere new, scary.

"We'll be okay," he said quietly, only loud enough so she could hear.

Looking up into his eyes, she could see that — even though there was despair and fear gripping his golden irises — there was hope too. A hope of a new life and a new start … and they were go through it all as the both of them, together.

"Yeah," she whispered quietly, and they entered the long hallway that would take them to the plane, which would take them to an unknown place, which would be where they spent the rest of their lives.

They had to do it. They had to be strong. They had to be strong, _together_.

Not only had Ichigo saved her, _freed_ her from prison, but he had also saved her, _freed_ her from herself and her guilt. He had made her believe in herself. In a way, they gave each other freedom, even though they weren't technically free.

_Freedom_, she thought, looking up at Ichigo, is such a strange thing. It something everyone strives for and yet, everyone has it. They just have to find it first.

Up above, two people watched Rukia and Ichigo go off on a plane to a destination that was unknown to the both of them. And they smiled for their bravery, their wiliness, their love, and for the _freedom_ they had given each other.

* * *

**A/N: And so concludes, "Free Me."**

**Alright guys, so this is the last chapter. I just want to thank, again, all of my reviewers being so freaking awesome and reviewing. This story is actually one of my most popular and I'm very happy of that fact. Thank you so much readers and reviewers!**

**And I'm sad to say that this is going to be my last Bleach fanfiction for quite awhile. As you know, I'm very busy with school, newspaper, and band. I don't have much time for writing and I want to put out a decent story that I'm actually able to think through before I'm a month or two late. I'm might write something this summer but who knows? Everything changes.**

**Again, if there are any Twilight fans, I have a story up! There are only about seven chapters, so please, please check it out! It's in my profile. *grins***

**Thanks so much you guys! I really appreciate everything! Please review! See you guys later!**

**-Liz**


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